The 2024 Olympics begin today in Paris, France! The XXXIII Olympiad will be the sixth Olympic Games hosted by France and the third Olympic Games hosted in the “City of Love.” From cardboard beds to the launch of Olympic breakdancing, this Olympic Games is already full of stories. If you’re caught up in the quest for gold, here are a few Olympic-themed reads.
Fiction
Fast Girls by Elise Hooper
In the 1928 Olympics, Chicago’s Betty Robinson competes as a member of the first-ever women’s delegation in track and field. Destined for further glory, she returns home feted as America’s Golden Girl until a nearly-fatal airplane crash threatens to end everything.
The Happiest Girl in the World by Alena Dillon
For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. It’s why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and pops Advil like Tic Tacs. For her mother, Charlene, hungry for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures.
Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner
Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. 22-year-old Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t–a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way.
Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella
At eight years of age, Samia lives to run. She shares her dream with her best friend and neighbor, Ali, who appoints himself her “professional coach.” Eight-year-old Ali trains her, times her, and pushes her to achieve her goals. For both children, Samia’s running is the bright spot in their tumultuous life in Somalia. She is talented, brave, and determined to represent her country in the Olympic Games.
Aquamarine by Carol Anshaw
Jesse Austin, a former Olympic swimmer who, at age 17, lost the gold medal in the Mexico City games–a loss that has haunted her ever since.
Head Over Heals by Hannah Orenstein
The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: after training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their controversial coach, Dimitri.
Nonfiction
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance by Simone Biles
Simone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games and have catapulted her ever since–including 25 World Championship medals.
Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her–what makes her a champion?
Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Read it or Weep 