Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian. . . [Paperback]

Anne Dublin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004 | Grade Level: 4 and up

Many sportswriters and broadcasters in this country agree that Bobbie Rosenfeld may be Canada's all-around greatest athlete of the twentieth century. Her love for all sports showed itself early. As a young girl she excelled in track and field, ice hockey, tennis, basketball and softball. At the 1928 Summer Olympics, held in Amsterdam, she won both gold and silver medals. But Bobbie's popularity was due to more than her athletic brilliance or, later, her skills as a sportwriter with the Globe & Mail. She was loved as much as anything for her strength of character-her decency, honesty and sense of fair play. Rich with historical photographs and context, Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything will appeal to sports fans of all ages. (20040901)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. If Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld had been an American male athlete, libraries would already have plenty of information about her. Born in the Ukraine in 1903 or 1904, Rosenfeld immigrated with her Jewish family to Canada in 1905. She became a star player in ice hockey and softball and excelled in tennis and track and field, leading the Canadian women's relay team to an Olympic gold medal and winning a silver one in the 100-meter event in 1928. When arthritis ended her athletic career, Rosenfeld coached women's track and field and became a distinguished sports writer for the Toronto Globe and Mail. Dublin supplies pertinent historical background on such topics as the Russian political climate in 1905, and she sprinkles many of Rosenfeld's very funny quips throughout the narrative. Filled with clear, captioned photographs; boxed facts; and period newspaper headlines, this first-rate biography will supplement women's history studies and collections. A time line, source notes, and a bibliography are appended. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Rosenfeld, an exceptional individual who embodied humour, perseverance, and a sense of fairness and equality, achieved her accomplishments several decades ago. In chronicling Rosenfeldís life for todayís children, Dublin employs a tone and language which makes her story timeless. " (Carol-Anne Hoyte Canadian Bookseller )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Second Story Press; First edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1896764827
• ISBN-13: 978-1896764825
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,259,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Award winner from the Association of Jewish Libraries!, January 26, 2005

By 

Heidi Estrin (The Book of Life podcast, www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian. . . (Paperback)

An excellent biography of Jewish Canadian athlete Bobbie Rosenfeld. The writing is clear, simple, and interesting. Dublin deftly creates context so that readers understand the historical significance of Bobbie's achievements, including her impact on the women's movement. The book is chock-a-block with interesting quotes and amusing anecdotes that keep the reader engaged. Sidebars contain intriguing tidbits that are relevant to nearby text, usually providing background information or expanding on a topic mentioned in the body of the text.

The book comes from a strongly Canadian point of view, and will be particularly popular there, where the places and people named will be commonly familiar. However, the text is quite accessible to non-Canadian readers as well.

The list of resources at the back of the book is very thorough, and includes a timeline, lists for further information in print, video, and online formats, a bibliography of the author's sources, photo credits, and an index.

The large black and white photos are clearly reproduced and intelligently captioned.

This title was named a 2004 Sydney Taylor Honor Book. You can listen to an interview with the author on the podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com. Listen to the February 2006 episode to hear the interview with Anne Dublin.

Grades 3-7

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, engaging biography!, April 7, 2005

By 

E. Fox (Oregon Coast USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian. . . (Paperback)

This biography is a work of art: it's tough to blend this much biographical data, anecdotes, photos, and clippings into a coherent and interesting story. Yet, teacher-librarian-author Dublin has done just that; the book is engaging enough to pull in even reluctant young researchers. Kids who are sports fans will find it particularly interesting and inspirational, as Rosenfeld was an amazing athlete who had a wonderful sense of humor, team work, and fair play. The text is rich in ethnic (Rosenfeld was a Russian Jew) and feminist themes, as well. Book has T of C, timeline, suggestions for further reading, bibliography, and index.