I am Jesse Owens

I am Jesse Owens

About the Book

Just in time for the Summer Olympics, this 33rd book in the New York Times bestselling biography series for ages 5 to 9 features one of the greatest runners in track and field history.

Before Jesse Owens was an Olympic gold medalist, he was a poor kid in a big family. When his speed caught the eye of one of his high school teachers, he began to train seriously and his running took him all the way to the Olympics, where he was against fierce competitors and racist assumptions, breaking world records while winning medals.

This friendly, fun biography series inspired the PBS Kids TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. One great role model at a time, these books encourage kids to dream big.

Included in each book are:  

  • A timeline of key events in the hero’s history 
  • Photos that bring the story more fully to life 
  • Comic-book-style illustrations that are irresistibly adorable
  • Childhood moments that influenced the hero  
  • Facts that make great conversation-starters 
  • A virtue this person embodies: Jesse Owens’s drive and perseverance are highlighted

You’ll want to collect each book in this dynamic, informative series!
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Ordinary People Change the World Series

We are The Beatles
I am Sally Ride
Ordinary People Change the World
I am Stephen Hawking
I am Jesse Owens
Ordinary People Change The World: 32-Book Set
You Can Change the World
I am Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I am Mister Rogers
I am Jackie Robinson
View more

About the Author

Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ordinary People Change the World children’s book series, The Lightning Rod and twelve other thriller novels, nonfiction books such as The JFK Conspiracy, and comic books, for which he has won the prestigious Eisner Award. He is one of the only authors to have had books on the bestseller list in five different categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Advice, Children’s Books, and Graphic Books.
 
Brad is the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag with his show Brad Meltzer’s Lost History. His children’s books are the inspiration for the PBS KIDS TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.  
 
His books have been read by multiple U.S. Presidents. The Hollywood Reporter put him on their list of the 25 Most Powerful Authors. And his recent commencement address at the University of Michigan has been called “one of the best of all time.” More by Brad Meltzer
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About the Author

Christopher Eliopoulos
Christopher Eliopoulos began his illustration career as a letterer for Marvel and has worked on thousands of comics, including Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Pet Avengers, and Cow Boy, all of which he wrote and illustrated. He is the illustrator of the New York Times–bestselling Ordinary People Change the World series of picture book biographies. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and their identical twin sons. More by Christopher Eliopoulos
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