2 years ago
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Every 4 years, I get obsessed with gymnastics. In betwixt rounds of Olympic competition, I autumn down the YouTube rabbit spread for yet different ticker of Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci’s groundbreaking performances successful 1974 and 1978 respectively. I ticker documentaries. I look up phrases similar double twisting treble back. And I person it connected bully authorization (or astatine slightest from Twitter) that I’m not alone.
Book Riot’s ain Kelly Jensen wrote a fewer years ago astir the information that she wanted much novels astir gymnastics.
Gymnastics novels are fewer and acold between. It’s weird to deliberation that, since gymnastics are truthful afloat of power, of drama, and of opportunities to exploit storylines. The girls (and boys!) who enactment are fascinating and they woody with unthinkable pressures wrong and extracurricular the gym to prosecute their passion. In a batch of ways, gymnastics offers a batch of the aforesaid imaginable stories arsenic ballet novels do: girls (and boys, but especially girls) doing things with their bodies that are powerful, that bid attention, and that request strength, agility, and commitment.
Thankfully, since 2016 erstwhile she wrote that piece, we’ve had rather a fewer novels acceptable successful that world. However, successful astatine slightest 1 way, they are inactive lacking: we decidedly request much novels astir gymnastics by authors of colour. The athletics has been progressively divers successful the U.S. successful the past decennary oregon so. All 3 gymnasts connected the podium successful this past summer’s National Championships were Black women, and successful 2021, Sunisa Lee was the archetypal Asian American to triumph Olympic golden successful the all-around competition. We progressively person memoirs by authors of colour: Grace, Gold and Glory by Gabrielle (“Gabby”) Douglas, Courage to Soar by Simone Biles, and I Got This by Laurie Hernandez.
I anticipation that successful the aboriginal we’ll spot much novels that bespeak this caller and improving world of diverseness successful gymnastics. But successful the meantime, let’s tumble into the pages of these novels.
Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli
Like galore of the protagonists of gymnastics-themed books, Audrey Lee is Olympics-bound. Or astatine least, that’s the program — but that could each alteration erstwhile atrocious quality comes retired that rocks the squad and threatens its balance. On apical of that, she has to navigate a distraction: the caller manager has a cute son…
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The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson
Gold medallist Shawn Johnson brings america this YA caller astir a precocious schoolhouse sophomore who is keeping her individuality arsenic a hopefully-future-Olympian a concealed from her classmates. Which would beryllium hard capable adjacent without the ace cute feline she’s conscionable met…
The Happiest Girl successful the World by Alena Dillon
How overmuch are you consenting to sacrifice for your ambition? For Sera Wheeler, the reply is astir everything. Her household has fixed up overmuch for, and been torn isolated by, her Olympic dream. When her champion person speaks up astir the squad doctor’s behaviour, Sera sacrifices integrity arsenic good arsenic relationship by denying what she knows to beryllium true, truthful that she won’t suffer favour and her spot connected the team. The already sky-high stakes of her gymnastics vocation person been raised again — truthful present what?
Head implicit Heels by Hannah Orenstein
There weren’t galore books I was capable to settee into and work successful (almost) 1 sitting successful 2020, but Head Over Heels was a large publication that wholly held my attraction (and sent maine down the rabbit spread of YouTube videos and Instagram accounts). Hannah Orenstein is simply a erstwhile gymnast herself, truthful was capable to bring a batch of large authentic item to this publication astir a young pistillate who comes backmost to her location municipality to bid the adjacent Olympic hopeful. It’s astir friendship, ambition, and pistillate empowerment arsenic overmuch arsenic it is astir love.
The Little Communist Who Never Smiled by Lola Lafon, transl. Nick Caistor
If you’re astatine each funny successful gymnastics, chances are that, similar me, you’ve watched Nadia Comăneci’s cleanable 10 routines connected bars, beam, and level astatine slightest a fewer times. This publication is simply a novelisation of her bonzer life.
Tumbling by Caela Carter
In this YA novel, we travel the fates of 5 antithetic young gymnasts arsenic they vie successful the Olympic trials. If you similar the ballet caller Tiny Pretty Things and getting wrong the heads of driven young women competing against each other, this is decidedly 1 to prime up.
Turning by Joy L. Smith
The darker broadside of some gymnastics and ballet are addressed successful this YA novel, wherever Genie is facing a dance-less aboriginal aft an injury. Her relationship with erstwhile gymnast Kyle helps her face what happened, and heal. Kirkus calls this YA caller “a nuanced portrayal of disability, dance, and starting over.”
You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott
If you emotion Megan Abbott and/or don’t caput an ambiguous ending, don’t miss this one, which is told from the constituent of presumption of a parent who has sacrificed truthful overmuch for her daughter’s Olympic imagination — a imagination enactment successful jeopardy by a execution that shatters the gymnastics community.
Want to work much astir the sport? Check retired Gimme Some Gymnastics Books, Please and Gymnastics Books For All Ages.
English (US) ·