Solid short biography of Jesse Owens. I like the images selected, and I think the book does a fair job chronicling both his triumphs and his missteps. ( )

I liked this book for its drawings, and writing style. This book had great visuals. When the info is facts, it can be hard to grasp everything the author says, but the visuals or the artist’s portraits of the people and what they really look like is a good way to solidify a message and meaning with the reader. This was done in a fun way, to show what the person really looked like to the reader.

The information was put out in a story so it was fun to read i got new information. I got loads of info about Jesse Owens. Every time Jesse got gold Hitler would leave because he was an African-American, and Jesse kept on winning. He even broke a few records. ( )

I liked this book, Who Was Jesse Owens, by James Buckley Jr. for its illustrations, writing and language. This biography had great illustrations because the illustrations complimented the writing well and put a face to a name. When the information is factual, it can be hard for a reader to grasp every point the author makes, but the visuals or the artist’s portraits of the people and what they really look like is a good way to solidify a message and meaning with the reader. For example, the people that the book mentioned that were also impactful to our history, such as Joe Louis, a famous boxer, or Charley Paddock, another great sprinter in history, were drawn as caricature drawings with realistic facial features to give an idea. This was done in a fun way, to show what the person really looked like to the reader. Then the illustration was coupled with a soliloquy to give background on each of these monumental people. I also liked the writing of this book because the writing engaged the reader by revealing new tidbits or fun facts along the way. For example, the author could have simply said that Jesse’s real name was J.C., but his teacher repeatedly mistook his name for Jesse, and ever since, the name stuck. Instead of doing that, the author bounced both of these names, J.C. and Jesse, around referring to these two names for about 20 pages before revealing that they were the same person and why the name Jesse came about if the author started talking about J.C.’s family. I thought this was a creative way to reveal information. I also liked the language of this piece because the language was simple, direct, informational and to the point. It seemed like the plot moved very fast, because it was a factual piece, but the language made it more descriptive and story-like. For example, in one sentence Jesse was falling in love with this girl, Minnie, in middle school and in the next sentence, they had given birth to a daughter Gloria in high school. This was humorous in a way how fast the plot moved, but logical because it is a factual piece, therefore, there is only so many details history can provide. But the author did a very good job of making it as story-like as possible without making it seem like a research source. The big message of this writing piece was that Jesse Owens was an inspirational, influential human being that deserves recognition. This story is a great way for young readers to learn about such a impactful person in an educational way. All people are made for greatness, and people like Jesse Owens is a great example of a human being’s capabilities and potential for all to learn and aspire to greatness too.

Jesse Owens was an amazing athlete that overcame a lot of adversity. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he became the first American athlete to win four gold medals for track-and-field in a single Olympics. In the book you learn about his life and his journey to greatness.

I would use this book to help engage kids who are interested in athletics and also to discuss how through sports people can come together. ( )

"Who was Jesse Owens" is a great chapter book for kids, but also contains history and events that adults could be interested in too. The whole book takes us through Jesse Owens' life of triumphs and pit falls of being an African American in the 1910s to the 1980s trying to make a name for himself in the track and field world. Within this book it details the racism that Owens had to go through between his schooling, the Olympics, and trying to find jobs after the Olympics. Buckley Jr. wrote this book in chronological order from before Owens was born with his parents being sharecroppers to his death in 1980 from lung cancer. Owens was a world breaking track and field athlete that paved the way for more African American athletes and this book details that really well. ( )