If you just can’t escape Olympic fever, but need a break from the screen, here are a few titles spanning ages and interests…
The Games: A Global History of the Olympics, by David Golblatt
Renowned sportswriter David Goldblatt…delivers a magisterial history of the biggest sporting event of them all: the Olympics.
The riveting true story and movie (starring Steve Carell) of Olympic wrestling gold medal-winning brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and their fatal relationship with the eccentric John du Pont, heir to the du Pont dynasty.
Building on the tradition of “Little Bee,” Cleave again writes with elegance, humor, and passion about friendship, marriage, parenthood, tragedy, and redemption. On the road to Olympic Gold in London, world-class athletes Zoe and Kate must decide what’s most important to them.
The Games, by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
A lethal plan put in motion during the World Cup is set to decimate Rio, and turn the Olympics from a worldwide celebration into a horrifying spectacle.
After sacrificing their childhoods, Grace, Leigh, Camille, Wilhelmina, and Monica are competing in the two days of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, after which their lives will change forever. Excerpted reviews: “Completely gripping. I felt like I had a front row seat to the Olympic Trials. All readers, especially fans of gymnastics, will love this book and wish it would not have to end.”–Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan
“Gymnastic books for teens are surprisingly few, and Carter has crafted an intense look into the pressures of this ambitious and all-consuming lifestyle.”–Booklist
“Carter has created five memorable characters whose voices resonate long after the story ends.”–School Library Journal
How to Train with a T-Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals, by Michael Phelps
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-boggling statistics of his years of training in terms young kids can understand.
The wildest race ever : the story of the 1904 Olympic marathon, Meghan McCarthy
From Megan McCarthy, the award-winning author of Pop! and Earmuffs for Everyone, comes the quirky, fascinating, and inspiring story of perseverance and the importance of sportsmanship set at the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon.
The classic feel-good family movie about the Jamaican bobsled team!