"Ghost. Patina. Sunny. Lu. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves." --

A biography of famous African-American runner Jesse Owens.

It is 1970 in Red Grove, Alabama, and at Lu Olivera's school the white kids and black kids sit on different sides of the classroom. Six-grader Lu just wants to get along with everyone, but growing racial tensions will not let Lu stay neutral about the racial divide in school. Her old friends have been changing lately--acting boy crazy and making snide remarks about Lu's newfound talent for running track. Lu's secret hope for a new friend is fellow...

Most of the time sports are seen as the height of competition, but often they also bring people together in times of cultural, social, and political upheaval. Jesse Owens explores the way the Olympic track athlete served to bring Americans (and citizens around the world) together against a common enemy. Includes ties to 21st Century themes, as well as infographics, timelines, glossary, and index.

Meet Jesse Owens, an African American runner who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin! What made his achievement even more memorable was that Adolph Hitler expected the Olympic Games to be a German showcase. In fact, he criticized the United States for even including black athletes on its Olympic roster. According to many reports, after Owens won his fourth gold medal, Hitler stormed out of the stadium. In 1936 Jesse Owens took a stand...

A simple biography of the noted black track star who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Nicknamed the World's Fastest Human," Jesse Owens grew up in a poor farming community. A sickly child, he went on to become one of history's most talented track athletes. The first man to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, Owens set six World Records and discredited Nazi leader Adolph Hitler's racist beliefs by showing his superior athletic skills at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. From his childhood in Alabama through his death in Arizona,...

"As a child, Wilma Rudolph suffered from polio and wore a leg brace. In 1960, she became the first US woman to win three gold medals in track and field at an Olympics"--

Explores Olympic track and field history, discussing key figures and record breakers, including Jesse Owens, Fanny Blankers-Koen, and Usain Bolt.

Introduction to the life and accomplishments of famed African-American Olympian, Jesse Owens. The most highly recognized series on African Americans celebrates Black History Month all year long! Journey to Freedom: The African American Library provides fascinating information on the heroic stories of African Americans who have played leading roles in shaping world history. Packed with vintage photographs that bring both the subjects' frustrations...