Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yoo, Paula. SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY. 2005. New York: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 158430247X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the summer of 1932, twelve year old Sammy Lee stood by at the local pool and watched white kids swimming and diving off the diving board. As Sammy watched, he decided that he wanted to learn how to dive but being a Korean American, a person of color, he knew that he would only be allowed to use the pool once a week.
Sammy was determined to learn to dive so he continued to push through the obstacles of discrimination to reach his goal of someday being an Olympic gold medalist. While pursuing his dream, Sammy’s father wanted him to lay aside his diving and focus on becoming a doctor. For the next sixteen years, Sammy studied hard to become a doctor but continued to enter diving competitions. In 1943 Sammy lost his dad to a heart attack and stopped diving so he could finish his doctor’s degree. After graduating Sammy started working in hospitals and continued to see people being discriminated against. In 1948 Sammy entered the Olympics and became the first Asian American to win the Olympic gold medal.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds is a picture book biography about Sammy Lee who overcame racial discrimination to win a gold medal in the 1948 Olympics. Paula Yoo who is a journalist and television writer came across this story while studying the history of Korean American which helps to bring authenticity to this biography. The author begins this story by taking the reader back to the 1930’s where racial discrimination was prevalent. We are told this when the narrator explains why Sammy was not allowed to enter the public swimming pool any time he wanted, “ Sammy would have to wait until Wednesday, when people of color were allowed to go inside.”(pg 1), when Sammy was not allowed to attend his senior prom because only white students could, when he wasn’t allowed to eat in a restaurant with his friends, and when there was rumor of him not being allowed to compete in the Olympics because he wasn’t white. In the Asian American culture, working for a better life is very important and throughout this story Sammy’s father continues to tell Sammy that, “In America, you can achieve anything if you set your heart to it.” The narrator revels to the readers that Sammy’s parents, “left Korea for a better life in America. His father worked hard at their family’s restaurant, saving money in the bank and putting his tips in a shoe box for his son’s future.”(50) Another culture marker that Yoo brings out is honor. Asian Americans talk about honor and the importance of it. Sammy watched as a customer was rude to his father. Later he wanted to know why his father allowed the rudeness and his father made the comment, “ instead of losing my temper, he acted with honor.”(14)
The underlying theme is, “You can be and do anything you want no matter what your skin color is.” At the end of the book readers will have the opportunity to read the Author’s Note which gives extra details of what Sammy did after the Olympics.
The acrylic illustrations that are throughout the book are done by Dom Lees who is an award winning illustrator of many children’s books and is a native of Seoul, Korea. These illustrations that Lees has presented in the book are very realistic and have the feel of old photographs. Lee has used darker tones to illustrate Sammy and his father’s skin tones along with slanted eyes to portray the Asian facial features. He has also depicted the time period with the types of cars and clothing worn in the 1930’s. Both the text and the illustrations will help readers make the connection and keep their interest to the very end.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Magazine: “She creates a picture of a person who succeeded through determined hard work -- not a larger-than-life hero, but an ordinary person of great achievement.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Yoo debuts with an inspiring tribute to the first Asian-American to win an Olympic gold medal, in 1948.”

School Library Journal: “This inspirational biography recognizes the life of the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal, at the 1948 Games in London.”

5. CONNECTION
Yoo, Paula. GOOD ENOUGH. ISBN 9780060790851
Mochizuki, Ken. PASSAGE TO FREEDOM: THE SUGIHARA STORY. Ill by Dom Lee. ISBN 9781584301578
Mochizuki, Ken. HEROES. Ill by Dom Lee. ISBN 9781880000502