Two girls, at first rivals, but then they bond over something they both love.

I had already heard of this book before but never had the luck to read it. Until today! And I have to say it was a really fun book to read. I never heard of Wilma Rudolph, but then again I am not a big sports watching fan, nor do I care much about sports (as in knowing all the athletes and such). But thanks to this book I know now who she is as our little MC tells us all about her, and we get a fact sheet with more information at the end.

Our MC is Alta, a small girl from Clarksville. She loves running, and she is really fast (and I think she has good promise for the future). But what will Alta do when a new kid pops up in the neighbourhood? How will she feel when she sees that this kid has everything fancy and shiny, while she is still in shoes with holes? I did feel for Alta, especially with how the new girl treated her and her friends.

The new kid? Eh, sorry, I just didn’t like her, and I did think the change with how she was acting was a bit too sudden for me. One moment she is acting like the queen, and the next she is suddenly buddy buddy with Alta. I guess a celebrity love bonds, and I also get that the book only has room for so much story, but I still would have liked this change to be a bit more natural than just BANG.

The float/parade was really fun to see, and I am happy that the girls got the chance to see their hero. I know how magical that is, to finally see the person you are admiring so much.

The art was pretty decent. Not entirely my kind of style, but still pretty nicely done.

All in all, a pretty OK book about friendship, rivalry, dreams, and sports.