I Am Darn Tough

Starred review from September 1, 2020

K-Gr 3-Morelli isn't just writing about a cross-country race run by a young girl, perhaps 11, with brown skin and flushed cheeks. The girl prepares at the starting line with her teammates. There is the crunch of gravel, large hills, and twisting paths, captured in soft-focus watercolors. It is a true quest, right down to the moment of stumbling and scraping her knee. "I remember crying, feeling defeated. My heart hurting, stomach in knots." Readers are there at the start of the race, and at the end, when the girl crosses the finish line, the wind at her back, a cramp receding in the rush of accomplishment. In the voice of the narrator that is both strong and true, the story has a simple, empowering message: that even to the fleet of foot there will be moments of self-doubt, injury, and pain. Diaz's scenes carry readers along with various perspectives and styles, from the close-up of the girl's determined face to the ghostly outlines of the moment when she falls and drags herself back up. VERDICT A necessary purchase; a surprisingly poetic glimpse of the heart of the athlete, with a welcome, winning heroine.-Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2020
A runner's high is an exhilarating mix of relief and tenacity. Running is largely a solitary and quiet activity, combining muscle memory and mental strength. A race puts this book's protagonist, who has light-brown skin and straight, black hair in a ponytail, together with other runners; all present female. She lines up at the start, runs at her own pace, and finishes strong. Her friends and teammates, a merry band of casually diverse girls, are supportive, yet the text understands that the girl's race is hers alone. What Morelli and Diaz do remarkably well is show what the girl thinks about and sees with each step and how that fuels her to keep going and not give up. Diaz's illustrations prove that anyone who runs has a runner's body; the stereotypical vision of what a runner looks like is a misconception. In the middle of the book are two illustrations that leave lasting impressions: The first abruptly ends the soft images seen heretofore when the girl falls and scrapes her knee; a stark, almost aggressive smear of blood is rendered with sharp, jagged lines. In the second, the girl breaks the fourth wall and stares out at readers. Her gaze is so straightforward and penetrating that it's almost startling, yet it feels simultaneously compelling, daring readers to look away first. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 48.6% of actual size.) A tender introduction to the discipline and community that running provides its athletes. (Picture book. 5-8)

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