A Picture Book of Jesse Owens

Author: David A. Adler
Publisher: Holiday House
Copyright: 1992
Genre: Biography
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 7 to 10 (Barnes and Noble)
Summary: James Cleveland Owens was born in 1913 in Alabama. His grandparents had been slaves and his parents farmed on land owned by another man and they shared their crops of corn and cotton with the man so they could use his land. James' nickname was J.C. When he was nine his family moved to Ohio. His mother said it would be a better life. On his first day at school in Ohio, his teacher asked him his name. When he said J.C., she thought he said Jesse and he went that name from then on. Jesse's whole family worked but they were still very poor. When he was in Junior High School a coach there saw him run in gym class and asked him to train for the track team. He met with the coach every morning before school since he worked in the afternoons. He became very close with the coach and called him "Pop." Jesse went to Ohio State University where he set three world records and tied a fourth one, all within forty-five minutes. He married and had three daughters. In 1936 he went to the Olympics which were held in Berlin Germany. This was during the time that Hitler was spreading ideas about discrimination, including against blacks. However, Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the Olympics that year. There was a parade to welcome him back when he returned to Ohio, but there was still prejudice in America and he worked a lot of different jobs to support his family. He gave many speeches about the value of family, religion and freedom and influenced many lives with his talent and his values. He was given all kinds of awards and was looked up to by many people. He died of lung cancer in 1980 but he left behind a legacy of hard work and making dreams come true.
Who would you recommend this book to? I think this would be a great book for children who love running or for children who have big dreams and goals in life.
Potential problems or conflicts: I don't see any potential problems or conflicts with this book.
My reaction: This was a really enjoyable book. I think it's one that kids and adults could really enjoy together. It's very inspiring and it has good messages.