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Grade 3-5-- Koral covers various aspects of the American sprinter's life from birth until 1990, with greatest emphasis on the events leading up to her winning three gold medals in the 1988 Olympics. The presentation is well organized, to the point, and easy to read. This, and the fact that Joyner is an intriguing subject, combine to give the book wider appeal than most sports biographies. Joyner is a captivating character who simultaneously suggests fun, drive, hardship, and success on and off the track. (As an adolescent she was kicked out of a shopping mall when she refused to remove her pet boa constrictor from around her neck.) Even her athletic experiences have a quirky side, as when she was eliminated from the 1984 Olympic relay team by officials who judged her fingernails to be too long for safe baton-passing. From several sources, including Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press, the full-color photographs depict excitement, drama, glamour, and strength. Throughout, Koral evokes strong visual images that give the text a richness unusual in nonfiction written this simply and indirectly. Also, a few well-placed quotes from Joyner add texture. --Liza Bliss, formerly at Leominster Public Library, MACopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

MACopyright 2017-01-24T04:46:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: best collection