The Olympics are in full swing and there’s no better time to read books about athletes and Olympians than right now. These are just a few of the many books out there with themes on the Olympics or athletics, but they are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still by Karlin Gray, illustrated by Christine Danevier
Nadia has a ton of energy. When she learns to channel her energy into gymnastics, amazing things start to happen. It takes a long time, a few failures, and a lot of work, but she manages to get to the Olympics. This beautifully illustrated picture book is a great reminder that hard work and determination pay off. (Ages 5-8)
Olympig! by Victoria Jamieson
Winning isn’t everything. In fact, it’s important to know how to lose, too. As Boomer the pig learns, it’s how you perform and how you react that matters. This adorable and funny book is about trying your best and losing gracefully when things don’t go your way. (Ages 5-8)
National Geographic Kids Everything Sports by Eric Zweig
Everything you could ever want to know about sports is right here. Learn rules, history, and training used by athletes. Whether your child is an athlete themselves, a sports nut, or just a fan, this is a must-have book for kids that like sports. (Ages 8-12)
Weird but True Sports: 300 Wacky Facts About Awesome Athletics
Even sports have a weird side. This is just one book out of a popular series exploring weird facts. With lots of pictures and short tidbits of information, it will keep your child’s interest while they learn all sorts of odd things about the sports they love. (Ages 8-12)
Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood From Sports Legends by David Stabler, illustrated by Doogie Horner
Before the great athletes were great, they were kids. And kids have all sorts of adventures, misadventures, and accidents. This book looks at the childhood experiences of well-known athletes. Other books in this series include Kid Presidents and Kid Artists. (Ages 8-12)
What are your favorite books about sports or the Olympics?
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2 COMMENTS
Kristen @ Metaphors and Moonlight
8 years agoYay, I’m glad you included a gymnastics book because that’s the sport I used to do! These sound like great books for kids. When I was a kid, I used to love those fun nonfiction type of books, like the ones with weird but true stories or interesting facts. That was what I read before I got super into fiction novels. Any type of book is great if it gets kids reading!
Dena at Batch of Books
8 years ago AUTHORI agree! There are so many great nonfiction picture books coming out now, and this one about Nadia was really good. Both my kids and I loved it.