The Quickest Kid in Clarksville
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
It's the day before the big parade. Alta can only think about one thing: Wilma Rudolph, three-time Olympic gold medalist. She'll be riding on a float tomorrow. See, Alta is the quickest kid in Clarksville, Tennessee, just like Wilma once was. It doesn't matter that Alta's shoes have holes because Wilma came from hard times, too. But what happens when a new girl with shiny new shoes comes along and challenges Alta to a race? Will she still be the quickest kid? The Quickest Kid in Clarksville is a timeless story of dreams, determination, and the power of friendship. Plus, this is the fixed-format version, which looks almost identical to the print edition!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1960, African-American runner Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in the Olympic Games. In a story about teamwork and determination, Miller (Sharing the Bread) imagines the children Rudolph might have inspired. Alta lives in Rudolph's hometown of Clarksville, Tenn., which will be honoring the runner's victories in an upcoming parade (an author's note explains that the parade was the first major non-segregated event in Clarksville's history). Alta adores Rudolph and considers herself to be Clarksville's fastest kid, until she meets Charmaine, who has a brand-new pair of running shoes and boasts, "I'm faster than anyone." Several one-on-one races later, Charmaine's strutting confidence continues to irk Alta, whose family can't afford new shoes. But the girls overcome their initial prickliness in order to race together to the parade with a celebratory banner in tow. Working in watercolor, Morrison (Little Melba and Her Big Trombone) gives the girls abundant personality as they size one another up with laserlike glares. Miller does the same, narrating from Alta's no-nonsense point of view. Ages 5 8.
