Queen of the Track
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Queen of the Track by Heather Lang
Here is a story of perseverance and unwavering ambition that follows Alice Coachman on her journey from rural Georgia, where she overcame adversity both as a woman and as a black athlete, to her triumph in Wembly Stadium in the 1948 London Olympics. When Alice Coachman was a girl, most white people wouldn't even shake her hand. Yet when the King of England placed an Olympic medal around her neck, he extended his hand to Alice in congratulations. Standing on a podium in London's Wembley Stadium, Alice was a long way from the fields of Georgia where she ran barefoot as a child. With a record-breaking leap, she had become the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. This inspirational picture book is perfect to celebrate Women's History Month or to share any day of the year.
"Lang brings her subject's early years to life through small details. . . Cooper's pastels keep to a brown, grainy palette, recalling the Georgia dirt on which the track star ran as a child." —School Library Journal
"From the hardships of her Georgia childhood through the 1948 London Olympics at which she won gold and became a legend, this biography stands out for the lesser-known details it includes (e.g. Coachman's dance performance aboard the London-bound ship). Cooper's grainy sepia-hued pastels are striking; endnotes with more about Coachman and the historic 1948 Olympics support the thorough text." —The Horn Book
"From the hardships of her Georgia childhood through the 1948 London Olympics at which she won gold and became a legend, this biography stands out for the lesser-known details it includes (e.g. Coachman's dance performance aboard the London-bound ship). Cooper's grainy sepia-hued pastels are striking; endnotes with more about Coachman and the historic 1948 Olympics support the thorough text." —The Horn Book
Heather Lang is the author of the Amelia Bloomer Book List selections The Original Cowgirl: Lucille Mulhall's Wild Adventures and Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman, Olympic High-Jump Champion. She resides in the city of Lexington, Massachusetts. Heather Lang Books can be found at heatherlangbooks.com. Ral Colón has illustrated over thirty books, including Frank McCourt's New York Times bestselling Angela and the Baby Jesus. The American Library Association has honored him with two Pura Belpre Awards. He resides in New York City.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781590788509 |
| ISBN 10 | 1590788508 |
| Title | Queen of the Track |
| Author | Heather Lang |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Boyds Mills Press |
| Year published | 2012-03-01 |
| Number of pages | 40 |
| Prizes | Winner of Keystone to Reading Book Award (Intermediate) 2014 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |