Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Dom Lee


This book outlines the life of Sammy Lee, a Korean American with aspirations to be a champion Olympic diver in a time when people of color were discriminated against. The book tells of the conflict between Sammy and his father and how Sammy eventually honors his father’s wish and achieves his own dream of being a champion diver.

The artwork is engaging and reminiscent of another time helping in conveying the struggles facing this young man. Written in a straightforward manner the book involves the reader immediately without being overly sentimental.

I liked this book. It grabbed my attention from the first page. Sammy is a real life good guy winning in the end. Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds is a page-turner of the non-fiction kind!

Suggested Reading Level: 2-5

Keywords: Olympic, discrimination, immigrants, springboard, gymnastics, competition, determination

Another book about Sammy Lee:

Not Without Honor: The Story of Sammy Lee by Molly Frick Wampler