Jesse Owens' mother frequently told him, "Put your best foot forward." So Jesse followed her advice, worked hard, and made his dreams come true as one of the greatest Olympic champions of all time. But it wasn't easy, as Jesse had to overcome many obstacles. Even though World War II hadn't started yet, Adolf Hitler controlled Germany during the 1936 Olympics. He wanted to prove during the games that Germans were a superior "race" to other people of the world. Little did he know that a black American would smash those claims by dominating the games as no athlete had before. Carter G. Woodson Award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford captures the incredible story of a true American hero who raced his way into our history books. Narrator Kevin R. Free's thrilling performance will have listeners cheering Jesse's every step. "This inspirational story will serve many purposes in the classroom, from discussions about prejudice, the Holocaust, and segregation, to the importance of role models who are examples of determination, sportsmanship, and hard work."-Children's Literature
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"Beautifully illustrated book that eloquently describes Mr. Owens accomplishments and the racism that he faced in Berlin and at home. This would be a really good book to introduce the concept of racism to a child and to open a discussion about how to treat others."
— Diana (4 out of 5 stars)
“This inspirational story will serve many purposes in the classroom, from discussions about prejudice, the Holocaust, and segregation, to the importance of role models who are examples of determination, sportsmanship, and hard work.”
— Childrens Literature" Unlike Weatherford's John Coltrane book, this one is packed with useful information. A great tie-in read loud for World War II thematic unit as well segregation in the United States. Again, this book reads like poetry with its use of short stanzas. "
— Lindsey, 9/23/2013" I loved how the pictures and story come together to make the reader feel as though they are in the moment with Jesse Owens. This was a very well written book for children to adults to read and appreciate. "
— Crystal, 12/25/2012Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of many children books, including Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, which was a Caldecott Honor book, and Becoming Billie Holiday, a 2009 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book.
Kevin R. Free is an audiobook narrator and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several AudioFile best narrations of the year selections. Known for his work with young-adult novels, he has read titles by Rick Riordan, Walter Dean Myers, and Joe Haldeman. In 2011 he was named a Best Voice in Young Adult and Fantasy from AudioFile magazine for his narration of Myers’ The Cruisers: Checkmate.