I adore books about sporty badass girls. Yet, when I first began to write Dangerous Play, there were few young-adult novels featuring fierce sporty girls. Of those, there were fewer which portrayed the powerful friendships that can emerge on girls’ sports teams. I want to read and write about girls who are defined by more than their love interests, who are dogged in the pursuit of their goals. In a world that so often judges girls by how their bodies look, sports offers an arena in which girls can view and value their bodies in an alternative way. And who doesn’t love to cheer for someone who beats the odds?
I inhaled Break the Fall, set in the world of elite gymnastics. After an injury, Audrey is not only ready to return to gymnastics but does the impossible thing of qualifying for the Olympics. Finally, she’s on the cusp of achieving all that she’s dreamed of and trained for all these years. Everything unravels, however, when their coach is accused of sexual assault. Iacopelli does a gorgeous job capturing all of the highs and lows of this story, as well as the intensity of elite athletics. While we don’t typically think of gymnastics as a team sport, I was especially appreciative of the way Iacopelli showed the girls standing up for each other as a team, which is rare in YA girls’ sports books.
A fiercely told survivorship novel about one girl's determination to push her body to win gold at the Olympics, and the power of uniting as women to speak out.
The only thing seventeen-year-old Audrey Lee dreams about is swinging her way to Olympic glory. Nothing is going to stop her, not even the agony in her back. Every spasm and ache will be worth it once she has that gold medal around her neck.
But none of her training prepares her for her coach being led away in handcuffs, accused by a fellow gymnast of the unthinkable. No one knows…
Hey there, readers! One afternoon during my children’s naptime, I read a couldn’t-put-it-down young adult adventure story. It totally drew me in, but as much as I enjoyed it, I distinctly wished it had included Christian morals. The goal of my writing is to give God glory and encourage readers to grow in their faith. My hope is that seeing relatable characters choosing to let God’s light shine through them, even during hard situations, will inspire readers to trust God and strengthen their faith. Be inspired along with me when the characters in this book list courageously make the right choice.
Looking for the perfect blend of friendship, adventure, and mystery?
The characters inThe Perfect Blindside are lovable and realistic, and the book kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.
Jake’s and Sophie’s points of view are thoroughly enjoyable, and the snowboarding and hiking scenes made me feel like I was part of the fun. I love the Christian values and that Jake and Sophie are committed to making positive decisions.
When they stumble upon a drug trafficking ring, can they bring the truth to light? Will their rocky friendship be strengthened or smothered?
For readers 12 and up, I highly recommend this Christian mystery!
He's an egotistical snowboarder with a silver medal.
She's a judgmental honors student with a flair for photography.
Slashed tires.... False accusations.... A coded message.... When all they can see is each other's flaws, how can Jake and Sophie work together to figure out what's really been happening at the abandoned gold mine?
Follow Sophie and Jake into secret tunnels as they unravel the mystery and challenge each other to become who God wants them to be.
The Perfect Blindside is a Christian teen winter fiction novel about using your gifts and talents to lead others to God. This teen…
I was born in England but have also lived in Germany and Switzerland. I’m not – and never have been – an elite sportsperson, but I'm fascinated by the sporting world and in particular, how young people who are into sports cope with the pressures of growing up and dealing with the successes and failures of sports. I love playing sports and watching it, in particular the Olympics and Paralympics, because of the drama, the tension, the soaring highs of winning, and the miserable lows of losing. The books that I've chosen hooked me in and kept me turning their pages because they’re gripping stories with irresistible (sporty) characters in inspiring settings.
This is a book I found out about when I was researching and writing my own book. It follows the story of three British cyclists, Zoe, Kate, and Jack, as they train for Olympic glory. Cleave writes about the glorious excitement of the sport, the brutal pain of training, and the hard choices these athletes have to make and his characters are unforgettable.
Goldhelped me realise that you can write a book that weaves sport into a story about love, friendship, loyalty, and grief. Goldwas a great inspiration to me!
The extraordinary third novel from Chris Cleave, author of the internationally bestselling, Costa-shortlisted THE OTHER HAND.
Kate and Zoe are friends but also ardent rivals - athletes at the top of their game, fighting to compete in the world's greatest sporting contest. Each scarred by tragedy, and each with a great deal to lose, they must choose between family and glory and ask themselves: what will I sacrifice?
GOLD captures the extraordinary effort and dedication that go into the pursuit of victory. But this life-affirming novel is about more than sport. It is about human endurance, motherhood and love, and…
I'm a Canadian author and figure skating historian. I have written about the sport's fascinating past for over a decade. My innate curiosity about skating history dates back to the days of BETA tapes and card catalogs. Long before YouTube and social media, the only insights we often had about skater's stories were small nuggets of information passed on in television broadcasts and magazines. Figure skating biographies are a rare treat, allowing us to really get to know the people behind the skating performances we love. I'm absolutely delighted to share with you a skating biography of my own - the true story of The Father of Figure Skating - Jackson Haines.
I don't see how anyone couldn't love Adam Rippon. Not only is he a gorgeous skater... he has an absolutely killer sense of humour!
What is particularly refreshing about this particularly autobiography is that Adam doesn't take himself too seriously. He's not afraid to be matter-of-fact and have a laugh about some of the setbacks he faced during his skating career. If you're looking for a refreshing and fun skating memoir, this one is completely out of the box.
Former Olympic figure skater and self-professed America's Sweetheart Adam Rippon shares his underdog journey from beautiful mess to outrageous success in this hilarious, big-hearted memoir that the Washington Post calls "comedic gold."
Your mom probably told you it's what on the inside that counts. Well, then she was never a competitive figure skater. Olympic medalist Adam Rippon has been making it pretty for the judges even when, just below the surface, everything was an absolute mess. From traveling to practices on the Greyhound bus next to ex convicts to being so poor he could only afford to eat the free…
My
novels explore women whose contributions to culture have been relegated to the
footnotes of mainstream history books, and in few areas have women been more
overlooked than in sports. Because of the achievements of today’s female
athletes, ranging from the many athletic opportunities available to our young
daughters to the professional success of women like Serena Williams, it’s easy
to think that progress for women’s sports has come a long way—and in many ways, it has, thanks to legislative protections like Title IX—but these achievements reflect
over a century’s worth of sacrifice by many unheralded women athletes. Here are
five books that highlight this journey.
In this memoir, Wyomia Tyus tells of her journey from Georgia as a sharecropper’s daughter to how she landed a coveted spot on the Tennessee State women’s track and field team, the Tigerbelles, and her domination in Olympic sprinting during the 1960s, a reign that included three gold medals and one silver. The story of Tyus and the Tigerbelles has been likened to a sports version of Hidden Figures and the comparison is apt. Though Tyus and her teammates never graced the cover of a Wheaties box or Sports Illustrated, these African-American women became an unparalleled force in track and field, breaking barriers and setting records, and challenging the racism and sexism of their era.
Finalist for the Track and Field Writers of America’s 2018 Armory Foundation Book Award
"Tyus proves as winning a storyteller as she was a runner...The 'a' in Wyomia is silent, but thankfully, the woman who owns that name is not." --New York Times Book Review
"Tigerbelle offers a fresh perspective on the history of women's sports in the United States. From her one-of-a-kind accomplishments on the track to her contributions to equal pay and publicity for women through the Women's Sports Foundation, Wyomia Tyus has earned her place in the pantheon of American sports sheroes and heroes." --Billie Jean King…
My hometown didn’t have an ice rink until I was in high school, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with figure skating. From making backyard rinks to coaching learn-to-skate, I did everything I could to spend more time on ice. I also voraciously devoured books with even a hint (like a frozen pond!) of figure skating. All too often, these attempts to spend more time in the skating world only resulted in frustration when authors messed up key details. This list includes my favorite books about skating that fellow figure skaters can enjoy without inaccuracies tripping up their extra ice time.
There are so many figure-skater-meets-hockey-player stories out there, and while I will always love The Cutting Edge, I adored how Sara Fujimura went for a new move with this novel by bringing in the world of speed skating. Olivia is the daughter of famous Olympians trying to figure out a normal teen life after her own skating falters. Her world collides with Jonah’s when he begins speed skating at her family’s struggling rink. A roller derby friend brings extra fun to this novel.
Every Reason We Shouldn't by Sara Fujimura is a charming multicultural romance perfect for the many fans of Jenny Han and Rainbow Rowell.
Warning: Contains family expectations, delightful banter, great romantic tension, skating (all kinds!), Korean pastries, and all the feels.
Sixteen-year-old figure skater Olivia Kennedy’s Olympic dreams have ended. She’s bitter, but enjoying life as a regular teenager instead of trying to live up to expectations of being the daughter of Olympians Michael Kennedy and Midori Nakashima...until Jonah Choi starts training at her family's struggling rink.
Jonah's driven, talented, going for the Olympics in speed skating, completely annoying… and…
I didn’t row in college; I started rowing at age 48 and quickly became addicted. I started racing and soon became obsessed. I row 4-6 days a week. I lift weights. I train on an indoor rowing machine (Concept 2 “erg”). I travel to Boston, Canada, and throughout the Pacific Northwest to compete. I devour books about rowing and couldn’t help but work it into my novel.
Lewis is one of my favorite writers. He’s funny, observant, and a nonconformist. In this book, Lewis describes in great, and often hilarious, detail his attempt to become the U.S. single sculler on the 1984 Olympic team.
Failing that, he attends the Olympic team selection camp for the double and suffers the indignity of not being selected. So, he strikes out on his own, finds a partner, comes up with a grueling and innovative training plan, and wins the Olympic gold medal.
I appreciate this book as someone who often forgets how old they are, obsesses, and overtrains.
Brad Alan Lewis’ determination to win an Olympic medal had taken over his life by 1984. He would be too old for the 1988 Games and his spot on the 1980 team had been lost to world politics. Only 1984 remained. But Lewis had a problem. Emotionally crushed after losing a guaranteed spot on the team by nine-tenths of a second in the single scull trials, Lewis went to the dreaded Olympic selection camp, where he hoped to earn a place in a national team boat. Again he failed. Lewis refused to be denied. He teamed up with Paul Enquist,…
What is it about women in their forties, fifties and beyond? What’s that you say? They feel invisible? A bit boring? Something about menopause? No, actually, I was going to say they’re absolutely bloody brilliant. That’s why (especially after entering my own fifth decade) I wondered where all the kickass midlife women were on TV and in literature. One editor admitted to me once that it was ‘safer’ to write about younger women, that people weren’t so drawn to the midlife heroine. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised how many great stories just weren’t being told.
This poignant, tragi-comedy of a novel is
both relatable and uplifting.
And though the protagonist is going through a bit
of a crisis, it’s ultimately a story of a woman finding herself and coming into
her own.
Grace’s relationship with her teenage daughter is so well described –
as mum of a teen girl I recognised the sadness she felt when she realised her
daughter needed her less than she’d used to.
I first realized the power of games when I won the Geography Bee in my elementary school. I had been playing Carmen Sandiego, which encouraged me to study maps and read almanacs. I started to see how games could motivate interest in all different topics. But I didn’t realize I could makegames until I was a graduate student at MIT, and I made an augmented reality game to teach history. Since then I have been designing games to inspire connection, care, and curiosity. I am Associate Professor and Director of Games at Marist College, and I have designed media for organizations like the World Health Organization, Scholastic, and Nickelodeon.
If we want to inspire the world, we need to start by teaching the next generation. Gaming SEL shows us how games can teach important skills like compassion, care, and perspective-taking. Dr. Farber, the book’s author, and I have collaborated on research in this area, and it is exciting to see the power of games in helping our students learn, grow, and care about each other.
Games enable children to practice emotions in spaces that are free from actualized consequences. With thoughtful guidance, games can help children manage emotions, perspective-take, demonstrate empathic concern, and exhibit prosocial behaviors.
Emerging research suggests that these competencies-also known as social and emotional learning (SEL) skills-are, in fact, teachable. In Gaming SEL: Games as Transformational to Social and Emotional Learning, Matthew Farber investigates the rich opportunities games have in supporting SEL skill development. Experts from the fields of education, game development, and SEL-including folks from CASEL, the Fred Rogers Center, Greater Good in Education, iThrive Games, Minecraft Education, and UNESCO MGIEP-share…
I didn’t row in college; I started rowing at age 48 and quickly became addicted. I started racing and soon became obsessed. I row 4-6 days a week. I lift weights. I train on an indoor rowing machine (Concept 2 “erg”). I travel to Boston, Canada, and throughout the Pacific Northwest to compete. I devour books about rowing and couldn’t help but work it into my novel.
Another favorite from Lewis, this book tells a fictionalized tale of an Olympic gold medalist hired to turn a hapless group of UC Santa Barbara rowers into a competitive collegiate team.
What ensues is a funny, but inspiring, tale of transformation, offbeat coaching methods, and camaraderie.
As a sometime rowing coach, I found it thoroughly engrossing and entertaining.
Taking on the challenge of coaching the poor-but-humble mens' varsity crew at UC Santa Barbara requires a special sort of person - Olympic gold medalist Brad Alan Lewis is the man for the job. Or is he? Yes, he'd won the gold at the Olympics, but he'd never coached a college crew - not even a novice team. Mountain lions, rattlesnakes, icy roads, crazed bass fishermen - they all conspired to make Lewis's challenge even more... challenging. Read 'Wanted: Rowing Coach' and find out if he survived. Actually, since it's an autobiography of sorts (thinly veiled fiction) you can pretty…
