Ready to Go Book Display: Olympics

Welcome to our series, "Ready to Go!" Book Display. Once a month, we'll highlight the latest or greatest for every age group (Adults, Teens and Children) that you can promote within your library or order for your collection. This month we are getting ready for the Olympics in Rio!

Recommendations for Adults:

Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides (Apr 2016)

A gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic swimmer discusses his early success, his retirement to engage on a spiritual journey and his return to worldwide competition, including the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

The Games: A Private Novel by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Jun 2016)

Two years after averting disaster while overseeing security for the World Cup, Jack Morgan, the head of international investigation firm Private, returns to Rio to secure the Olympics, only to confront a Brazilian saboteur who is hatching a lethal plot.

Meb for Mortals: How to Run, Think, and Eat Like a Champion Marathoner by Meb Keflezighi with Scott Douglas (Apr 2015)

Describes in unprecedented detail how three-time Olympian Keflezighi prepares to take on the best runners in the world. More important, the book shows everyday runners how to implement the training, nutritional, and mental principles that have guided him throughout his long career, which in addition to the 2014 Boston win includes an Olympic silver medal and the 2009 New York City Marathon title.

Knitlympics: Knit Your Favorite Sports Star by Carol Meldrum (Mar 2012)

Whether you're a fan of track, swimming or gymnastics, there's a knitting project here for creating a famous Olympic athlete, from Olga Korbut to Mark Spitz, and even Olympic paraphernalia, such as a torch, podium, and gold medal.

Gold by Chris Cleave (July 2012)

Cyclists Zoe and Kate are friends and athletic rivals for Olympic gold, while Kate and her husband Jack, also a world-class cyclist, must contend with the recurrence of their young daughter's leukemia.

How to Watch the Olympics by David Goldblatt (May 2012)

Offers an entertaining guide to the rules, strategy and history of each Olympic sport, including witty, detailed descriptions and clever illustrations.

Recommendations for Teens:

Tumbling by Caela Carter (Jun 2016)

After sacrificing their childhoods, Grace, Leigh, Camille, Wihelmina, and Monica are competing in the two days of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, after which their lives will change forever.

Goldfish by Nat Luurtsema (Jun 2016)

Lou Brown is a fast individual medley swimmer, training for the Olympics. But when she tanks the time trials, she starts over and goes back to school.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown (Sep 2015)

Complemented by black-and-white photographs, a middle-grade adaptation of the best-selling The Boys in the Boat describes the American rowing team's triumphant and unlikely win during the 1936 Olympics.

The Hopeful by Tracy O'Neill (Jun 2015)

A figure skating prodigy is one of the few "hopefuls" racing against nature's clock to compete in the Olympics.

Recommendations for Children:

MVP #1: The Gold Medal Mess by David A. Kelly (May 2016)

Five friends are ready for their school's Olympics field day. But not everyone wants to play fair, someone is trying to ruin the events! Can the kids in the Most Valuable Player club solve the mystery, save the Olympics, and take home the gold?

The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon by Meghan McCarthy (Mar 2016)

The exciting and bizarre true story of the 1904 Olympic marathon, which took place at the St. Louis World's Fair.

What are the Summer Olympics? by Gail Herman (Mar 2016)

Recounts the history of the Olympic Games, dating back to 775 BC, how the games ceased then were revived in 1896, how they grew to prominence in the modern day and attract thousands of top athletes from all over the world, and how billions of fans cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold.

G is for Gold Medal: An Olympic Alphabet by Brad Herzog (Sep 2011)

The letters of the alphabet introduce facts about the Olympic movement and Olympic sports.

Olympics Record Breakers by Jo-Ann Barnas (Sep 2015)

Shares the stories behind some of the Olympics' extraordinary feats, including Bob Beamon smashing the Olympic record in the long jump, Nadia Comneci's perfect score in gymnastics, and Michael Phelps' eighth gold medal win.

How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals by Michael Phelps with Alan Abrahamson (Jun 2009)

With his record-breaking eight gold medals won for swimming in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Phelps became an international sensation. In this picture book, Phelps explains the mind-bogging statistics of his years of training in terms young kids can understand.

Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne (Oct 1998)

Their magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to retrieve a lost story in ancient Greece, where they witness the original Olympic games and are surprised to find what girls of the time were not allowed to do.

Weird But True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletics (May 2016)

Everything has its weird side - even sports! Add wacky stats, facts, and stories to your arsenal of trivia with this new addition to the very popular Weird but True series! With the Olympics on the way, discover tons more zany fun, focused totally on the subject of sports.

Caillou: Backyard Olympics by Eric Sevigny (Jun 2016)

Fascinated when Clementine wins a blue ribbon, Caillou participates in Grandma's backyard Olympic games, where everyone wins ribbons in such events as the heel-to-toe race, the biggest smile, and the silliest walk.