Jesse Owens (Junior Black Americans of Achievement) [Paperback]

Richard S. Rennert (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Junior Black Americans of Achievement

A biography of one of America's greatest track and field athletes, the winner of four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- "I decided I wasn't going to come down. I was going to fly," said Jesse Owens of his 26' 5" long-jump at the 1936 Olympics, which set a record unbroken for 24 years. Rennert tells the champion athlete's story simply, directly, and inspiringly, placing particular focus on Owens's years of track-and-field successes. Uncomplicated vocabulary and sentence structure make them accessible to fourth graders, yet the telling is effective. Several anecdotes glow with charm. A few well-placed quotes and some material with built-in tension (Adolf Hitler's arrival at the Olympic Stadium in 1936) supply all the accents required. The inclusion of the glossary is a good idea, but with just a dozen terms, it's hardly adequate, leaving undefined for this age group such concepts as starting blocks and hitchkicking. A simple chronology will help readers keep their places. Black-and-white photographs vary in character and quality. Some are excellent. Even busy backgrounds behind profiles of Owens sprinting and long-jumping don't diminish the impact of that body in motion. --Liza Bliss, Leominster Public Library, MA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 79 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea House Publications (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791019551
• ISBN-13: 978-0791019559
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,526,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)