Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 07/23/2023 Writing in a rhythmic patter that sometimes sprints, sometimes properly evokes a sense of stubborn endurance in the face of utter exhaustion, Smith chronicles the course of an incredible six-day indoor race run by legendary cyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor in 1896: “The first Black face / in a pro bike race / GO, MAJOR, GO, / stay with the pace!” Grimly determined in Espinosa’s clean-lined, dramatically angled scenes, 18-year-old Taylor brushes past crowds of hostile-looking white competitors, see a huge, hallucinatory bear on day four, and suffers a fall on day five—and on day six, he endures a collision and collapse just minutes from the race’s end. That was still good enough for an eighth-place finish and, as the author goes on to detail in an afterword enhanced by a time line and source list, just an early highlight in a championship career followed by a fall into penniless obscurity. Earlier profiles of Taylor for young readers have helped make sure this pioneering athlete isn’t forgotten; Smith’s poetic one is a driving addition to the chorus. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.