Overview

Have you ever been told that you’re not enough? That you’re not strong enough, tall enough, fast enough? Bessie was told she was not enough. Bessie dreams of riding her bike with the boys after school, but they tell her she is not fast enough. When she finally gets a chance to race, she proves not only that she is fast enough, but she is faster.  Fast Enough combines an imagined story of Bessie Stringfield as a young girl with historical facts about Bessie as an adult. Bessie Stringfield went on to become the first African-American woman to travel solo across the United States on a motorcycle. Not only was she fast, but she was a true adventurer, daring to ride to places unsafe for African Americans in the 1930s and ’40s. Fast Enough is an inspirational story for anyone who’s been told they are not enough.

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9781549303142

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KIRKUS (STARRED) -- Future black female motorcyclist Bessie Stringfield triumphs over boys who say she can't join their daily bike races in this fictional imagining of her childhood. Have you ever been told you are not enough? Bessie was. Boys, black and white, are shown telling this darker-skinned girl with very large afro puffs that she isn't pretty enough or tough enough. After school, they race past her, laughing when she says she wants to join them. Downcast, Bessie asks Mama if girls can ride [bikes] fast, to which Mama replies, the only one who knows for sure is the Man Upstairs. At bedtime, she asks in prayer, with one eye open, and then falls asleep. In her dream, she rides like magic through vast landscapes and cityscapes, so fast she even raced up into the night sky. She wakes up ready, and that afternoon, when the boys say Go! she zooms past them, astonishing everyone. Dark brown, gold, and neutral tones dominate the captivating scenes, which segue skillfully into paragraphs of backmatter information in smaller font about Stringfield's impressive exploits. She traveled widely on her motorcycle(s) in the mid-20th century, using the Negro Motorist Green Book to stay safe when riding across America. Discrepancies between different versions of her life story are explained as an example of how legends grow. A playful introduction to Bessie's exciting, triumphant, and unforgettable story. (Picture book. 5-9)

Author Information

"Joel Christian Gill is the chairman, CEO, president, director of development, majority and minority stockholder, manager, co-manager, regional manager, assistant to the regional manager, receptionist, senior black correspondent and janitor of his Strange Fruit Comics. He is the author of Fast Enough: Bessie Stringfield's First Ride from Lion Forge and the award winning graphic novels Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History and Tales of The Talented Tenth from Fulcrum Publishing. In his free time he is Chair of Comic Arts at the New Hampshire Institute of Art where inspire students to unleash the transformational potential of their stories. Founder of #28daysarenotenough it is his belief that segregating the history of minority peoples lessens the impact these people have made on American society, and culture. Gill has dedicated his life to using stories to rebuild, empathy, compassion and ultimately humanity. As his friends and family say, ""He won't shut up about equality, justice and the importance of telling stories, so listen to him so we can binge watch Stranger Things in peace."" He received his MFA from Boston University and BA from Roanoke College."

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