How the Race Is Run! I Am Darn Tough by Licia Morelli

How do you win a race?

First, you have to finish the race!

But as all competitors know, things don't always go your way.

STUFF HAPPENS!

As our girl takes her runner's stance for the start, things look good.

I REMEMBER TYING MY SHOES.

The sun is warm and the breeze is just right, and... she's off! The ground crunches under her feet, her stride lengthening as she moves. But the path is not smooth: There are patches of mud and puddles. There are rocks and roots ready to bring her down, and soon . . . . one does!

. . . TRIPPING AND FALLING. . . MY KNEE BLEEDING. . .

But she gets up and hobbles a few steps before finding her rhythm again. And then... there's the hill ahead... Running up and up is hard! There's a pain in her side, and the sun is too hot. But she can't stop now. She takes a deep breath.

I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE. I AM DARN TOUGH!

And her stride lengthens, her cramp fades away, and she catches up with the other runners, smiling, laughing with the others, seeing the finish line ahead.

THROUGH THE TAPE. ARMS UP!

I AM BRAVE!

And the race is run, in Licia Morelli's I Am Darn Tough (Tilbury House, 2020), beautifully illustrated by artist Maine Diaz, in a fun run, but learning that what it takes to finish the race is first to master yourself and not falter on the way to the finish. Stay the course! Says School Library Journal, ". . . a surprisingly poetic glimpse of the heart of the athlete, with a welcome, winning heroine."