Reviews:

Marci Lavine Bloch (Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter, September/October 2004 (Vol. 24, No. 1))

Bobbie Rosenfeld just may be the most amazing woman in world of sports. Anne Dublin has done a marvelous job of introducing the reader to this incredible woman. More amazing still, she is able to evoke the world in general, and of sports in particular, of the 1920s and 1930s to enable to reader to view the events in the book in their proper historical place. There were few opportunities for female athletes decades ago. Watching the Olympics recently just served to remind how much things have changed. Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld was a person for whom, it seems, not participating in organized sports was not an option, and she took her opportunities wherever she could find them. She participated at the national or international level in many track and field events, tennis, hockey, and softball, and excelled at all of them. Eventually, severe pain from arthritis forced her to curtail her athletic activities and she channeled her love for sports into a 20-year career as a sports columnist for a Toronto newspaper. Dublin sets the stage for her subject with sections giving just the right amount of world and Canadian history; well-chosen historical photos provide another means for readers to glimpse the past. She explains the challenges faced by Rosenfeld personally, as well as those difficulties faced by all female athletes at that time. In Dublin's deft prose, Rosenfeld is not presented as a saint, but rather a real woman with great skill and talent, who also had tremendous difficulties in her life. Certainly many kids eagerly followed the Olympics this summer; they were able to witness what talented athletes can do with lots of hard work, but also with the help of athletic specialization, sports technology in training and equipment, and (in many cases) tremendous financial support for coaching, training, and facilities. Ms. Rosenfeld was an Olympic athlete at a time when athletes, especially women, had to depend almost exclusively on their own talent, and occasionally the assistance of a good coach. Young readers may be amazed at how much Ms. Rosenfeld was able to accomplish -- in so many athletic events -- with such limited resources. I know I was! This readable, informative, and entertaining biography includes plenty of photographs of Rosenfeld and her fellow athletes, a timeline, and suggestions for further reading. It would be worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the history of competitive athletics (including adults), especially for girls who participate in sports themselves. Category: Biography. 2004, Second Story Press, 148 pp., $14.95 Pbk. Ages 10 to 14.

Linda Perkins (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2004 (Vol. 101, No. 1))

If Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld had been an American male athlete, libraries would already have plenty of information about her. Born in the Ukraine in 1903 or 1904, Rosenfeld immigrated with her Jewish family to Canada in 1905. She became a star player in ice hockey and softball and excelled in tennis and track and field, leading the Canadian women's relay team to an Olympic gold medal and winning a silver one in the 100-meter event in 1928. When arthritis ended her athletic career, Rosenfeld coached women's track and field and became a distinguished sports writer for the Toronto Globe and Mail. Dublin supplies pertinent historical background on such topics as the Russian political climate in 1905, and she sprinkles many of Rosenfeld's very funny quips throughout the narrative. Filled with clear, captioned photographs; boxed facts; and period newspaper headlines, this first-rate biography will supplement women's history studies and collections. A time line, source notes, and a bibliography are appended. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Nonfiction. 2004, Second Story; dist. by Orca, $14.95. Gr. 5-8.

J. Lynn Fraser (CM Magazine, September 3, 2004 (Vol. XI, No. 1))

If Bobbie Rosenfeld hadn't existed, she would have to be invented. Anne Dublin is doing a service to young readers, and older ones as well, by informing them about Rosenfeld's athletic achievements and her innate sense of fair play and team spirit. Dublin outlines not only Rosenfeld's achievements in the arena of track and field that include being among the first group of female athletes to compete at the Olympics where she medaled, but also her brief but groundbreaking career as an insurance salesperson and her twenty years as a sports writer. Her sense of fair play existed before her fame and continued throughout her life. “One of the many incidences of team spirit Rosenfeld displayed was during an Olympic running race where she ran along side a colleague, sacrificing her own chance at winning, while encouraging her Canadian teammate to stay in the race and finish (pp. 71-72).” Dublin also ensures that her readers are well aware of the social, economic and greater world events that were taking place while Rosenfeld forged her career. These events are described within their own chapters and within shaded boxes within each chapter. Older readers will enjoy the reminder of earlier times in 1920's Toronto and onward not that they were uncomplicated or without conflict but the text's photographs bring alive those times. Dublin adds to Rosenfeld's story by giving a context to the times in which she lived. In Ontario, for example, it was illegal for Blacks and Jews to own property in certain areas. This situation did not change until 1950. A timeline is supplied by the author at the back of the book so that Rosenfeld's life and career can be tracked. The bibliography and sources for additional reading on sports and history are also helpful. The author's writing style is relaxed and has the feel of one friend relating a story to another friend. The font of the text is large and easily read. Black and white photos help to break up the text and add to the narrative as do samples of newspaper articles from the era. Rosenfeld battled prejudice against women as sports participants and as serious competing athletes. As Dublin noted, women athletes were seen as unfeminine and too weak to participate in sports. Women in sports were seen as going against “the laws of nature” . Educators, doctors, and lawmakers mostly male still believed that women were fragile, if not inferior.” Rosenfeld's records, along with those of her colleagues, pointed out the fallacy in that belief. Dublin quotes an article Rosenfeld wrote for Chatelaine magazine: “The modern girl is a better worker and a happier woman by reason of the healthy pleasure she takes in tennis, hockey, lacrosse, swimming, running, jumping and other sports. (p.73)” Dublin also points out that Rosenfeld “discussed the legal and political implications within women's sports and how these affected all women.” Rosenfeld also wrote about “women in society and women's contribution to the war effort” as well as about “the greed and corruption that had regrettably become a part of professional sports.” These discussions and issues will, without doubt, strike an older reader as painfully familiar. Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything is a very enjoyable read about a woman whose humour, charm, political savvy and inspiring athleticism should be known to students of all ages. Highly Recommended. Rating: **** /4. Grades 7 and up. 2004, Second Story Press, 148 pp., pbk., $14.95. Ages 12 up.

Evette Berry (Resource Links, June 2004 (Vol. 9, No. 5))

Bobbie Rosenfeld excelled at hockey, basketball, softball and track and field, and became one of Canada's first female Olympic medalists in 1928. When she could no longer play sports, she coached a variety of women's teams. When she could no longer coach, she wrote a sports column for the Globe and Mail. As a strong advocate for women's athletics, Bobbie helped make it possible for young women to actively participate in sports today. Anne Dublin's book follows Bobbie from her birthplace in the Ukraine in 1905 to her childhood in Toronto, as well as her stunning accomplishments at the Olympics and her later career as a noted sports journalist. In addition to creating a highly readable narrative, Dublin writes clearly and concisely about the time in which Bobbie lived. The daunting obstacles that women had to overcome in order to be recognized in sports were legion, from inadequate financial support to inferior equipment and facilities to outright gender discrimination. Dublin writes about these setbacks in an even, factual tone, and uses them to highlight just how important Bobbie's accomplishments were to Canadian women's sports. Historical photographs add interest to an already interesting book. This would be a very useful resource for a social studies unit on Canadian history or Canadian heroes. Category: Non-Fiction Grades 7-12. Thematic Links: Women Athletes - Canada - Biography; Sportswriters - Canada - Biography. Resource Links Rating: G (Good, great at times, generally useful!), Gr. 5 up. 2004, Toronto: Second Story Press, 148p., Pbk. $14.95. Ages 10 up.

Jonatha Masters (VOYA, February 2005 (Vol. 27, No. 6))

Bobbie Rosenfeld and her family immigrated to Canada in 1905. Her parents were Russian Jews, and they both believed that with the fall of Czarist Russia, their homeland was becoming an extremely dangerous place to raise a family. They arrived in Halifax that same year and settled in the small town of Barrie. It was difficult for Bobbie's family because there were so few Jewish families in the small Canadian town; however, Bobbie became a popular commodity very quickly. She loved to play sports including hockey, softball, basketball, and track and field. Bobbie excelled at every sport she tried, but she was a naturally gifted runner. In 1928, the Olympic Committee decided to let women compete in track and field events, and Canada was going to send their best female athletes. Bobbie and her teammates returned to Canada with four Olympic medals. This book tells a wonderful story of an amazing athlete who is unfamiliar to most readers. Dublin discusses Bobbie's life including her career in sports and how she helped erase the stereotypes surrounding female athletes at the time. Dublin also provides pictures of Bobbie, her teammates, and her family throughout the book. The book sports a time line of Bobbie's life, acknowledgments, and photo credits. Students who are doing research on the Olympic games or former Olympic athletes, especially Canadians, might find this book extremely useful. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Second Story Press, 148p.; Photos. Biblio. Further Reading. Chronology., $11.95 Trade pb. Ages 11 to 18.