Review by Booklist Review
As a girl, Kathrine Switzer loved to run, but in the 1950s and 1960s, it was unusual for women to compete in races. At Syracuse University, she practiced with the men's team but was not allowed in competitions. She set her sights on running the Boston Marathon, though no woman had ever signed up to run in the event. After training and practicing to improve her endurance, she could run far beyond the necessary 26 miles. Switzer registered and ran the Boston Marathon in 1967. Some spectators cheered, but race officials were angry to see a woman running, and two men tried to stop her. Determined to finish and supported by other runners, she completed the marathon. Chaffee sets the scene well, introducing Switzer as a child and suggesting societal expectations for women in sports, and then letting the story of her first Boston Marathon unfold in the book's second half. The large, stylized illustrations, collages created with paint, pencil, and digital media, are most effective when seen from a little distance. A worthwhile picture-book biography.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Kathrine Switzer turned heads when she ran-doing laps around her yard at a time when girls weren't supposed to sweat, competing with the boys' track team in college, and, in 1967, as the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon. Chaffee's effective telling of Switzer's iconic story emphasizes persistence, ambition, and discipline-the "pat, pat, pat, pat" of the runner's tread is a repeated refrain-but centers on her love of the sport: "She thought running was magic." When she completes the marathon, eluding an attack by a race official, she is asked why she did it, and says, "I like to run. Women deserve to run too." In Rooney's bright, straightforward illustrations, mixed media renders dramatic moments small (cutting sneakers to accommodate training-swollen toes) and large (the rage-twisted face of the race official), amplifying the empowering message. Ages 8-11. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Chaffee tells the story of Kathrine Switzer, the first registered female runner for the Boston Marathon. This picture book biography begins with her love of running as a child and progresses through her training for the 1967 Boston Marathon to the day of the actual race. Detailed mixed-media illustrations of onlookers showing their disapproval emphasize that Switzer's passion for running was seen as strange. Readers can practically see the wind rushing through her hair, and the resolve on her face is evident. Students will enjoy reading about this remarkable woman who was determined to prove that girls are just as capable as boys. VERDICT An empowering story that belongs in all picture book biography sections.-V. Lynn -Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet -Elementary School, Raleigh, NC © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This stirring picture-book biography introduces Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with an official race number. "Running was magic" to twelve-year-old Kathrine, but her backyard laps, tallied with chalk marks on a tree, drew attention: "The mailman stared. The milkman asked if she was okay. Because in 1959, it was strange to see a girl running." As a student, first at Lynchburg College and then at Syracuse University, Switzer ran with the men's team because there wasn't one for women. In 1967, as she competed in the Boston Marathon (having registered as "K. V. Switzer"), officials tried to block her path and rip her race number from her shirt. But she evaded the men and dashed away, determined to show that "women deserve to run too." Chaffee deftly provides historical context for her audience. She also repeats the sound of running feet ("Pat, Pat, Pat") throughout the text-cleverly setting the pace and building momentum. Rooney's mixed-media collage illustrations add emotional depth and use perspective to good effect, focusing closely, for example, on Switzer's hand as she cuts open her sneakers to make room for her swollen toes. An author's note with further biographical details, a brief "Women and the Boston Marathon" section, and a bibliography are appended. Pair this story of determination and persistence with Pimentel's Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon (rev. 3/18). Tanya D. Auger November/December 2019 p.106(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered runner, is highlighted in this debut for both author and illustrator.Each time she races past the tree in her backyard, 12-year-old Kathrine marks its trunk with chalk to record her laps. "One lap to gojust a few more feeta few steps1 MILE!" Though she's proud of her accomplishment, other people stare or wonder if something is wrong, because girls aren't supposed to sport. But for Kathrine, "running [is] magic." As she grows up, she continues to challenge her physical limits. Yet despite her running prowess, society still believes women are "too weak, too fragile," to compete. However, no rules bar women from running the Boston Marathon, so Switzer signs up for the race. As if training weren't difficult enough, what Switzer encounters during the 26.2 miles will take more than passion and endurance for her to finish. Readers eager to chase down biographies that feel like stories will appreciate how this book achieves that expectation. Chaffee's text balances thorough research with strong prose that breaks through the wall that stops some nonfiction in its tracks. Additionally, Rooney's collagelike paint, paper, and pencil illustrations are rich in texture and vibrant in color, capturing both the motion of running and emotion of persevering. They include some people of color to background the mostly white primary cast.Fearless indeed. A biography that goes the distance! (author's note, women and the Boston Marathon, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
