Traveling Shoes: The Story of Willye White, US Olympian and Long Jump Champion written by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Keith Mallett is the Mississippi Center for the Book's Great Reads from Great Places pick for the 2024 National Book Festival. It tells the story of Willye White, the first American woman to compete in five Olympic Games. Born in Money, Mississippi in 1939, Willye overcame incredible adversity to become one of the best of the best in the long jump and as a sprinter. She was a woman of firsts: the first American athlete to compete in five Olympic games, a member of the first Olympic teams to visit the Soviet Union and China, and the first member of her family to graduate high school and get a college education.
To bring attention to Willye's accomplishments and our Great Reads pick, MLC staff have assembled this programming guide for you to use in conjunction with a complimentary copy of Traveling Shoes. There is a recording of Alice Faye Duncan reading her book, printable coloring sheets, ideas for hosting your own Outdoor Games, and questions provided by the author to guide thoughtful discussion of the story.
ALICE FAYE DUNCAN is a National Board Library Media Specialist who writes for children.
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop received a Coretta Scott King Honor Medal for Illustrations in 2019. Yellow Dog Blues was a New York Times and New York Public Library Best Illustrated Picture Book in 2022. Alice was featured on Good Morning America to speak about children, grief, and comfort found in her recent book, This Train is Bound for Glory.
Opal Lee and What It Means to be Free is her bestseller, having sold 100,000 copies since January 2022. Find more books from this author at www.alicefayeduncan.com.
Crafts:
DIY Adventure Games Torch: Using just a few household items, your patrons can create their own blazing torch to help usher in the opening ceremony of your games. Information can be found here.
Champion Gold Medals: Every child can be a champion when they create their own gold medals. This easy craft uses ribbon, cardboard, and markers to allow for your patrons to create their own unique medal. Information can be found here.
DIY Foam Pennants: These foam pennants would make an excellent addition to in-person story time or an excellent take and make craft.
What better way to celebrate winning than by making your own crown? Use this Creativebug class to design and create your own celebration crown out of pipe cleaners, beads, and other shiny things.
Want to jazz up your own traveling shoes? Create your own DIY fabric shoelaces using this Creativebug class taught by Liesl Gibson.
Activities & Games:
If you've ever wondered why there aren't any freeze dance or hopscotch events at the Olympics, these suggestions are for you!
PBS Kits for Parents: 9 Family Games for Your Backyard Olympics
30 Creative Relay Race Ideas to Try
Olympics-Inspired Backyard Games
You don't have to be outside to have fun, you can have a trivia night focused on Olympics or sports themed questions, or host a storytime featuring local sports teams and coaches.
Chalk Drawing & Photo Op
Don't have three podiums on which to host an award ceremony? Do you need some cute photos for your library? Check out the ideas found here for some inspiration. You can either have kids draw their own chalk backdrop or set the scene yourself before the program so attendees can have a memento of your amazing games!
There are an abundance of partnership opportunities when hosting your own Outdoor Games. Reach out to a few of the following suggested groups to get your community engaged with the library, either as speakers or attendees:
Speaker Ideas
Attendees:
These discussion questions can be used by librarians, teachers, and parents to help their children and patrons listen for text clues and engage with the story:
1. Describe the impact cotton had on Willye's desire to travel?
2. List 3 adjectives that describe Willye the child?
3. What part of Willye's personality is similar to you?
4. When Willye White said, "I believe in me," what did she mean?
5. How did going to the Olympics at 16 years old change Willye's view of the world?
6. Explain Coach Ed Temple's contribution to Willye's success?
7. If Willye White was a track star in 2024, how would her life be different from 1956?
8. Write a Haiku poem that is a "snapshot" biography of Willye White's life.
Olympics Official Website: See what's currently happening in the Olympics, look at the events schedule, and more!
Paralympic Games Official Website: Learn about the Paralympic Games, see which sports are included, and much more.
Special Olympics Official Website: Learn about the Special Olympics, read about recent happenings and events, and learn about the importance of inclusion on this site.
Willye White, United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum: Read more about Willye White's Olympic career and her life in this article.
MAGNOLIA Resources:
What did you think about this programming toolkit? Was there content that you expected that we didn't provide? Did you patrons love any part of your program in particular? We'd love to hear about it! Please fill out the anonymous form below and let us know your thoughts, successes, and needs for future tools like this one.
If you are a public library system interested in using this programming toolkit, please email (abrower@mlc.lib.ms.us) or call (601-432-4117) Alex Brower to get a bag of the following items you can use to get started:
Bags can be mailed or put on your library system's distribution shelf.