Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman Olympic High-Jump Champion

by Heather Lang, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

As this year’s Olympics draw near in Rio de Janeiro, athletes from around the world are training hard to overcome the competition, just as Alice Coachman did for the 1948 Olympics in London. This inspirational nonfiction book by Heather Lang is a story of perseverance and unwavering ambition that follows 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. With her strong determination and innate athletic talent, Alice raced her way to the top of the track and field world and, leaping over all hurdles in her path, went on to become the first African American woman to take home the gold medal. This amazing journey is complemented by Floyd Cooper’s pastel illustrations that serve to represent Coachman’s incredible struggles.

School Library Journal says: “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.”

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Sports, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, African American

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Heather Lang writes picture books that celebrate our natural world and biographies about women who overcame extraordinary obstacles to follow their dreams. Her award-winning books include Supermoms!: Animal Heroes, Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark, and The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest, an NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book and Green Earth Book Award winner. To research her books, Heather has observed animals in the Serengeti, climbed to the treetops of the Amazon, and explored the depths of the ocean. You can read more about Heather’s books and find lots of activities and resources for them at heatherlangbooks.com.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations accompany this biography about an extraordinary woman and athlete.

[Tai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Alice Coachman, so I enjoyed reading a little history about this track and field star. She was the first African American woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics and to endorse a major international brand.

[Jessica Santana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book biography tells the story of Alice Coachman who grew up in Albany, Georgia during the 1940s. As a young girl, she had a passion for running and jumping through the fields of Georgia. This passion grew into a remarkable talent that allowed her to become the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field during the London Olympics in 1948. The book not only follows her journey to success, but also details the challenges she was faced with as an African American woman and athlete. The discrimination she experienced did not affect her unwavering ambition, which makes this story truly inspiring. At the end of the story, you find actual photos from the Olympics that Alice participated in, as well as photos of Alice Coachman which is something I look for when reading biographies. I also appreciated the list of references included at the end.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book with a lot of love for the athlete and sports it portrays, but it also doesn't shy away from all the different things that were hard.

The story talks about Coachman dealing with racism, sexism, and poverty, how those impacted her in different ways and within different communities. I thought it was also interesting that the book talked about how different her experience was while in London for the Olympics. (London was hardly racism-free, but being in a place that was less segregated is really emphasized here.) And I appreciated the mentions of WWII, how it affected London, and what that meant for the 1948 Olympics.

The illustrations are pretty dark, which matches the story well, but I'm not sure the font was well-chosen for readability over those illustrations.

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before track stars as Wilma Rudolph and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Alice Coachman was the female who paved the way.

Alice Coachman from Albany, Georgia, became the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in 1948 in London. London was still in ruins from World War II and there were food shortages.

Alice Coachman would have won several gold medals at the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, but both were cancelled because of World War II.

After winning the gold medal her hometown had a parade. Segregation was alive in the South. Alice was not invited to speak to the crowd nor did the mayor shake her hand.

Later, Alice Coachman was the first black woman to endorse Coca Cola featuring her on its billboards.

Great secondary read-aloud.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book to read to students about setting goals and going for them, even in tough times. Alice Coachman was born in the 1930's, in a poor African American family with 10 children. Despite the difficulties she faced growing up, she made it to the 1944 Olympics and won a gold medal in high jump. She was the first African American female to win a medal. My 4th grade students enjoyed learning about Alice and we were able to talk about some of the history of African Americans in the South, post reconstruction. We also found a video about her on YouTube. The students enjoyed watching her jump so high!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Olympic story I didn't know, about a black girl from the south who won gold in the Olympics in the high jump.

She deals with the predictable barriers to achievement as a girl growing up at a time when girls weren't expected to participate in sports, a girl in a poor family, and a black person in the south. From there, she went on to shake the hand of British royalty.

[Lara Lleverino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what an inspiring book! I loved reading Alice's story. It was fun making connections that she went to Tuskegee Institute that were connected with Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. The determination and fortitude of the people involved with that Institute is astounding! Excellent story and beautiful illustrations!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice's love for running and jumping leads her on a path to become the first African American to win Olympic gold.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book about Alice Coachman, the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal (in high jump). Floyd Cooper's pastel drawings have warm earth tones, on brown paper, and a luminous glow. The text is for older readers, with many details left out of shorter versions such as Touch the Sky. (I was particularly intrigued by the time she volunteered as a rescue runner after a 1940 tornado struck her hometown; "she moved so fast, she could deliver food while it was still hot." Great way to prove her running was a necessary skill!) The book includes mention of the racism she encountered while training and competing, and has nice endnotes with more details about her life and about the 1948 Olympics and how vastly different they were from today's modern Games. Also has a list of sources, including video and websites.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Coachman loved to run and jump. Trouble was, in the 1930’s it was not considered ladylike or useful for a young African-American girl to spend time on athletics. Lang’s biography explores the racism, sexism and poverty that should have kept Alice Coachman’s feet on the ground and the guts and determination that propelled her become the first African American female gold medal winner at the 1948 Summer Olympics in post-war London. Perfectly timed for children interested by this summer’s games, Lang’s book inspires and teaches some history. Award winning artist Floyd Cooper’s soft, grainy sepia-toned pastels beautifully evoke the era and convey Alice’s strong and joyful personality. Suitable for reports; sources, video resources and websites are included.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. At a time when girls where discouraged from running and jumping Alice Coachman soared and paved the way for Wilma Rudolph and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Also contains an interesting afterword about how London hosted the games with less than 2 years to prepare, after WW II, while the streets were covered with bomb debris and there were still shortages of food, clothing and gasoline. Switzerland donated gymnastic equipment, Finland sent wood for the basketball floor.

A person I had not heard about and definitely worth learning and reading about.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you name the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal?
It was high-jumper Alice Coachman, as I learned from this well told and softly illustrated picture book biography. Coachman overcame racism, poverty, restrictive gender roles and tough athletic competition to achieve her dream.
This book has interesting historical connections, not only to segregation in the Unite States, but also to WWII. The back matter includes a section on how the 1948 Olympics managed to be pulled off in London — a city still in ruins from the conflict.
Read this to inspire children or be inspired yourself!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring story about a little girl from Albany, Georgia, who rose above poverty, discrimination and segregation to attend Tuskegee Institute High school on a track scholarship, and ultimately become the first African American woman to win an Olympic medal. Gorgeous pastel illustrations compliment the text. Alice Coachman said it best:" When the going gets tough and you feel like throwing your hands in the air, listen to that voice that tells you, 'Keep going. Hang in there.' Guts and determination will pull you through.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Coachman was the first African American woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics in 1948. That's quite an accomplishment in it's own right. Knowing that she dealt with sexism, poverty and racism along the way make's her achievement even more extraordinary.

[Debby Baumgartner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picturebook biography of an Olympic star that could not compete in the Olympics still after World War II ended. A short biography of a woman African American that gives a glimpse into the south before civil rights.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring story of athlete from humble circumstances.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful picture book biography of the first African-American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal. This was a fact I did not know. Beautifully illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that two books about Alice have been published this year. I wish we could get a longer bio!!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amazing story of the first African American woman to become a gold medalist. A great early elementary bio.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

fascinating story

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent biography showing how determination can overcome challenges.

[Peggy Hess Greenawalt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story, and the message. The illustrations needed some spunk. Great read aloud for older kids studying American and Black history.

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an inspirational story with wonderful text and gorgeous illustration.