Overview

"From a skinny little kid growing up in St Boniface, Manitoba, Harry Jerome rose to become ""the fastest man in the world,"" a title he held for an incredible eight years in the 1960s. He competed at the University of Oregon and represented Canada in the 1960, 1964, and 1968 Summer Olympics. During his career, he set seven world records. Harry Jerome achieved all of this in spite of the prejudice he and his family consistently had to fight against because of their African-Canadian heritage. In this engaging and inspiring novel, acclaimed children's writer Norma Charles has woven together Harry's fascinating life story from information gathered through research, interviews with his family, friends and coach and from her own memories of watching his races at University of British Columbia when she was a student there."

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9780889955530

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Reviews

Although the author wrote this as a fictional account, she knew Harry during his racing days. Remembering his great persistence in the face of obstacles, she wanted her children and grandchildren to learn about the world's fastest man. Her research into many sources included interviews with Jerome's sister, best friend, and coach. The result is a very readable account. Frequent use of dialog in a simple narrative style makes the story accessible to middle grade readers. Perhaps pairing the story of Harry Jerome with that of Jackie Robinson will motivate today's youth to be more understanding than previous generations.--Marla Unruh VOYA (04/01/2018) This book is a quick, enjoyable read. Although it is intended for younger audiences, any reader would enjoy reading this inspiring book with the very clear message of try your best. Harry Jerome, the main character, is a good role model, and his story is an important part of history.--Savannah Withrow, Teen Reviewer VOYA (04/01/2018) Runner is an amazing story about the trials of racial inequality and the struggles to achieve dreams. It follows a young Harry Jerome as he grows up in an inhospitable environment. Overcoming tremendous obstacles, he finds his place in track and field, eventually reaching Olympic levels.--Ty Johnson, Teen Reviewer VOYA (04/01/2018)

Author Information

Norma Charles is the author of several books for young readers including See You Later, Alligator, The Accomplish, All the Way to Mexico and Run, Marco Run (winner of the Moonbeam Award for pre-teen novels). She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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