Queen of the Track Alice Coachman, Olympic High-Jump Champion

At the 1948 Olympics in London, members of the U.S. Women's Track and Field team went down to defeat one by one. Any hope of winning rested on Alice Coachman. Thousands of spectators stayed late for the high-jump event and witnessed history as she became the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. In time for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, this book follows Coachman on her journey from rural Georgia, where she overcame adversity both as a woman and as a black athlete, to her triumph in Wembly Stadium.

Heather Lang, a former public-health attorney, was inspired by Alice Coachman's indomitable spirit. This is her first picture book. She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Floyd Cooper is a recipient of the 2009 Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration as well as three Coretta Scott King Honors, ten ALA Notables, and an NAACP Image Award, among other honors. He lives in Easton, Pennsylvania.