Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story

"Handsomely illustrated and compassionately written without sentimentality, this picture book biography exemplifies what this genre should be: humanizing and meaningful. In 1932, 12-year-old Sammy Lee could only swim in the public pool on Wednesdays, the only day open to people of color, and Sammy was Korean American. Torn between his dream of diving and his father’s urging him to become a doctor, Sammy managed to achieve both, despite barriers and prejudice, and was the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal. Scratchboard-style, sepia-toned paintings in wax-covered acrylics create a textured effect both visually and contextually. The title refers to the 16 years he trained for the 16 seconds it took to perform his winning show more dive. This hero’s inspirational story demonstrates determination and dedication by a man who never gave up and is still an active athlete today at the age of 84. (author’s note) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)" www.kirkusreviews.com, A Kirkus Starred Review show less

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
By Paula Yoo

I liked Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds, The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo for three reasons. First, I liked the illustrations in the story. Specifically, some of the photos cross the gutter, some of the photos are divided by white space, however, can be seen as one full illustration, and some photos are displayed on only one page. The variations of photos are pleasing to the reader’s eye. Second, I liked how Sammy Lee’s father plays an important role in his life. At first, it seems like Lee’s father does not support his dream of being an Olympic diver yet, towards the end of the story readers realize that his father only wants the best for him. Lastly, I liked how show more Sammy Lee was extremely determined throughout the entire book. He did not let his race and the judgments of others get in the way of his goals. Overall, the “big idea” of Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story is to illuminate to readers that with determination anyone can strive to fulfill a dream. show less

I absolutely loved this book! This book tells the inspirational story of Sammy Lee, who was the first Korean American to win an Olympic gold medal in the 1948 Olympics. The main message of this book, which was reiterated throughout the story, was, “you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it.” It really wonderful to learn about a man who achieved and did a great deal for America. Not only was he the first Korean American to win gold defend that title in the next Olympics, and be was the first male diver to win gold medals in diving in two consecutive Olympics, but he also served as a doctor in the Korean War. This book touched on discrimination, determination, and completing goals; all of these are important and I think show more this book beautifully describes each. The illustrations were not incredibly colorful or bright; rather, they had dark shades and looked like they were made with oil paints and pencils. They were very texturized and emphasis was always on Sammy Lee and whomever he was with. I also enjoyed the variety of illustration placements in the book. Sometimes the picture would go across the gutter onto the next page, other times it only took up one page, and other times the illustrations were in panels that represented a sequencing of actions. I thought this was really nice, too. The writing flowed well and characterized the character’s emotions in an engaging manner. Initially. I thought Sammy Lee’s father only supported his personal aspirations for his son since he discouraged Sammy Lee from diving. But as the story progressed and the characters continued to develop through inner and outer dialogue, I was able to see how the father did support his son’s diving goals. Of course the father was concerned with his son’s well-being and he wanted him to have a successful occupation. This story was incredibly encouraging and uplifting, and Sammy Lee’s determination is truly remarkable. Overall, the main idea of this book is to never give up on your dreams and if someone sets their mind on attaining something, it is possible with fierce dedication and determination. show less

Sammy Lee's story was one of perseverance and determination. Despite certain discriminations was able to stay level headed and reach his goal of becoming an Olympic gold medalist. This book did a great job of including the naysayers and bigots but making them insignificant. Showing kids how negativity will be present but can be ignored.

I love how this time period spans and allows natural change. Sammy Lee is conflicted man. He wants to be a swimmer and his dad wants the best for him, which isn't swimming. So he follows his dad's wishes and once he's gone, will he go back to his real dream or stay in his little box?

I loved this book. I think it's really cool how it was so realistic and still following his dreams is beautiful.

In my opinion, this is a wonderful book. It is the story of olympic diver Sammy Lee and all that he had to overcome to accomplish his goals. This book was both informational and inspiring. Sammy Lee is an Asian-American who was discriminated against and had obstacles placed in his way because of his ethnicity. The writing and language are simple yet do not detract from the plot in any way.

This book could be used to learn about the immigrant experience and the concept of the American dream, and also to begin a discussion about segregation and discrimination.

This book chronicles the struggle of Sammy Lee, who not only dealt with the discrimination of Asian-Americans, but also the pressure put upon him by his parents to not only succeed, but succeed in the way that his parents wanted him to. His spirit and free will gained him the first gold medal in diving by an Asian-American.