Touch the Sky

Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper

Plot Summary

Bare feet shouldn't fly.
Long legs shouldn't spin,
Braids shouldn't flap in the wind.
"Sit on the porch and be a lady," Papa scolded Alice.

In Alice's Georgia hometown, there was no track where an African-American girl could practice, so she made her own crossbar with sticks and rags. With the support of her coach, friends, and community, Alice started to win medals. Her dream to compete at the Olympics came true in 1948. This is an inspiring free-verse story of the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Photos of Alice Coachman are also included.

Reviews

"A solid introduction to a lesser-known sports heroine." Kirkus Reviews

"The engrossing narrative makes this book a can't-miss account of believing in seemingly impossible dreams and pursuing one's passion. Gracefully pictured in Velasquez's oil paintings, Coachman flies high in every way imaginable." Booklist

"...Alice, as depicted in Eric Velasquez's dynamic paintings, seems always to be airborne....Malaspina employs a spirited prose style to tell the story of Alice's extraordinary career." BookPage

"Velasquez's majestic, thickly painted oils portray Coachman (b. 1923) with a quiet serenity and assurance, as Malaspina, writing in verse, conveys the magnitude of her accomplishments with agility and lyricism." Publishers Weekly

Associated Keywords
sports, Olympics, biography, African-Americans, Coachman, Alice