________________ CM . . . . Volume VII Number 11 . . . . February 2, 2001

cover Fast Finish. (Sports Stories, 30).

William Swan.
Toronto, ON: James Lorimer, 1998.
117 pp., pbk. & cl., $8.95 (pbk.), $16.95 (cl.).
ISBN 1-55028-640-4 (pbk.), 1-55028-641-2 (cl.).

Grades 3 - 8 / Ages 8 - 13.

Review by Stephanie Yamniuk.

**** /4

excerpt:

Noah's plan to fight the dust seemed simple. He would start the race as close to the front as possible, and stay near the front for the first 600 meters on the track. Then, when the dust settled behind them, he would slow his pace and jog the rest of the course. He thought it sounded great. When the starting signal sounded, Noah stood in the third row back, beside Diane. Immediately, they moved forward. For the first strides, the runners were packed so closely together that one mistake would trip a dozen. Noah focused on his footing. He had little time to think of his pace. There was no chance to think of falling back. The tide of runners carried him.
Fast Finish is a book about courage. By becoming a runner, Noah fights to find his place in life and work through the death of his father. He gains self-confidence and begins to see what it means to be a winner. He has a choice: to give himself a chance to be a runner, or to be satisfied with knowing that he could be a great runner.

      A crisis in the life of someone for whom he cares greatly causes Noah to quit running, the one thing that he feels he is good at. Who is he trying to punish? His coach or himself? He must overcome the past in order to succeed and win the provincial finals, an event for which he has worked so hard to qualify.

Highly Recommended.

Stephanie Yamniuk works at the University of Manitoba and is a freelance writer.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - February 2, 2001.

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