Olympic Reads

Learn more about the Summer Olympics with these reads for adults, teens, and kids. Available to borrow at SCLS.

Updated August 9, 2024
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On your mark, get set, gold! :
Allen, Scott,
Paper Book
Packed with awe-inspiring facts, this hilariously informative guide will make readers laugh their sports socks off! From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to compete in every sport in the summer games. You'll discover what makes each sport great -- and not so great -- as well as what...
Aquatics /
Bolte, Mari,
Paper Book
Water sports at the Summer Games are amazing to watch! From swimming to diving and even water polo, elementary readers will discover the power and grace it takes to win gold in these aquatic events. Action photos and straightforward text introduce swimming's Olympic history, equipment, and...
Gymnastics /
Bolte, Mari,
Paper Book
"Celebrate the Summer Olympic Games with this elementary-level introduction to the sport of gymnastics and its floor and apparatus events. Includes biographical facts about Hmong-American artistic gymnast Suni Lee"--
Rowing /
Bolte, Mari,
Paper Book
"Celebrate the Summer Olympic Games with this elementary-level introduction to the sport of rowing. Includes biographical facts about English rower and gold medalist Steven Redgrave, whom many consider the best rower of all time"--
Wrestling /
Bolte, Mari,
Paper Book
"Celebrate the Summer Olympic Games with this elementary-level introduction to the combat sport of wrestling, both freestyle and Greco-Roman events. Includes biographical facts about American freestyle medalist Jordan Burroughs"--
The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Brown, Daniel
Paper Book
Now a Major Motion Picture Directed by George Clooney The #1 New York Times-bestselling story about the American Olympic rowing triumph in Nazi Germany--from the author of Facing the Mountain. For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the...
Jesse Owens /
Buckley, James,
Paper Book
Discover the inspiring story of Jesse Owens, African American track-and-field athlete and Olympic gold medalist, in this fascinating kids' biography. Jesse Owens is one of the most famous athletes of all time, but he experienced discrimination throughout his athletic career, such...
Cycling /
Gish, Ashley
Paper Book
"Celebrate the Summer Olympic Games with this elementary-level introduction to cycling, the sport known for speed and endurance on bikes. Includes biographical facts about BMX cyclist and gold medalist Charlotte Worthington"--
Fencing /
Gish, Ashley
Paper Book
"Celebrate the Summer Olympic Games with this elementary-level introduction to the sport of fencing and its three events: foil, saber, and épée. Includes biographical facts about French gold-medalist Romain Cannone"--
Triathlon /
Gish, Ashley
Paper Book
"Celebrate the Summer Olympic Games with this elementary-level introduction to triathlon, the sporting event that includes swimming, biking, and running all in one. Includes biographical facts about Flora Duffy, Bermudas first ever Olympic gold medalist"--
The games :
Goldblatt, David,
Paper Book
The definitive sports and social history of the modern Olympic games--by a New York Times best-selling sportswriter. A Boston Globe Best Book of 2016 A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2016 For millions of people around the world, the...
Unbroken : a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption
Hillenbrand, Laura
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The incredible true story of survival and salvation that is the basis for two major motion pictures: Unbroken and Unbroken: Path to Redemption. "Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic."--The Wall Street...
Women in sports : 50 fearless athletes who played to win
Ignotofsky, Rachel
Paper Book
A richly illustrated and inspiring book highlighting the achievements and stories of fifty notable women athletes from the 1800s to today, by the New York Times bestselling author of Women in Science. "This is one of the books we've been waiting for-a compendium...
All in :
King, Billie Jean
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * An inspiring and intimate self-portrait of the champion of equality that encompasses her brilliant tennis career, unwavering activism, and an ongoing commitment to fairness and social justice. "A story about the personal strength, immense growth,...
She Persisted : 13 American Women Who Changed the World
Clinton, Chelsea
Paper Book
Chelsea Clinton introduces tiny feminists, mini activists and little kids who are ready to take on the world to thirteen inspirational women who never took no for an answer, and who always, inevitably and without fail, persisted. Throughout United States history, there...
Games of deception :
Maraniss, Andrew.
Paper Book
*"Rivaling the nonfiction works of Steve Sheinkin and Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat....Even readers who don't appreciate sports will find this story a page-turner." --School Library Connection, starred review *"A must for all library collections." --...
Dream team :
McCallum, Jack,
Paper Book
They were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers.   In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team that captivated the world, kindled the...
Splash! :
Means, Howard B.
Paper Book
Choose a stroke and get paddling through the human history of swimming! From man's first recorded dip into what's now the driest spot on earth to the splashing, sparkling pool party in your backyard, humans have been getting wet for 10,000 years. And for...
Hour of the Olympics /
Osborne, Mary Pope
Paper Book
The #1 bestselling chapter book series of all time celebrates 25 years with new covers and a new, easy-to-use numbering system! No girls allowed at the Olympic Games! That's the rule when the Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to ancient Greece. But when Annie tells jack to go...
The horsewoman : a novel
Patterson, James
Paper Book
This "hugely entertaining, riveting page-turner" (Louise Penny) follows the complicated relationship between mother and daughter as they face off in the Olympics--and into a ride they can barely control. Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe, mother and daughter, both champion...
One life /
Rapinoe, Megan,
Paper Book
Megan Rapinoe, Olympic gold medallist and two-time Women's World Cup champion, has become a galvanizing force for social change; here, she urges all of us to take up the mantle, with actions big and small, to continue the fight for justice and equality. Using anecdotes from her own life and career,...

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