About the Book
With the London Olympics just around the corner, here's an exciting overview of the Olympic Games that covers the history and development of the games, achievements of the athletes, famous controversies of the Olympics, and much more.
About the Author :
Nick Hunter has written more than 30 books for young people. He has a degree in Modern History and specializes in writing about history and social studies. Nick enjoys all aspects of pop culture, particularly music from the 1950s to the present day. Before becoming an author, Nick worked in educational publishing for many years. He lives in Oxford, UK with his wife and two sons.
Review :
In 1896, a modern sporting tradition began; the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. In the century since for first Olympics, the games have seen triumph and tragedy, power and passion. There have been incredible athletes who won - and lost - Olympic medals and athletes who made powerful statements just by being at the games. There have been many scandals (drugs, cheating, corruption behind the scenes) and even some fatal acts of violence. Some sports have been held every year since 1896 (or 1924, the first year of the Winter Olympic Games) and others couldn't even have been dreamed of by the organizers of those games. Inside the Olympics looks at the history of the Olympics, great moments and athletes, and how the games are organized in the Twenty-First Century. I was in Grade Four during the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and I remember us doing a unit on it in class. That's when I became really interested in the Olympics and figure skating in particular. Because of that, I always love seeing new books about the Olympics that are written for kids. Inside the Olympics does a great job of covering the event from the ancient games through to the present day, with a look to this year's London games and beyond. The print in the eBook version that I read was a little small in the viewer, but it likely is a bit more readable in the print version. All of the things that I expected to be in here are here (Muhammad Ali's win in 1960, the black power salute in 1968, Jesse Owens at "Hitler's Olympics" in 1936, Michael Phelps's gold medals in 2008, a biography of Pierre de Coubertin, Ben Johnson's story in 1988) along with stuff that I wasn't expecting (the coverage of the Winter Olympics, the focus on the Paralympics and Paralympic athletes). Maps, charts, and a glossary of terms round out this solid non-fiction title. If your classroom or library has an outdated Olympic title on the shelves (or you're looking to kindle some Olympic interest in a child of your own), this is a great choice for a new replacement. Crowding the Book Truck Blog 2.24.2012 http: //www.crowdingthebooktruck.blogspot.com/2012/02/inside-olympics-by-nick-hunter.html-- "Crowding the Book Truck Blog"
This overview contains standard information that can be found in the publisher's "The Olympics" series, which is geared toward younger readers and in which the same map of Olympic host cities is used. After covering the history of the Games, Hunter emphasizes the upcoming summer events in London as well as the Paralymics. Chapters discuss controversies (such as terrorism and drugs) as well the Olympic symbols and athletic milestones. The color photographs are undistinguished and sometimes too tiny to be helpful. "Biography," "Great Moments," "Olympic Greats," "Behind the Scenes," and "Technology" sidebars are scattered throughout. While these colorful boxes break up the dense text, they also interrupt the flow of the narrative. A section about discontinued sports is interesting. This book could supplement or update collections. - Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VASchool Library Journal February 2012 Issue-- "School Library Journal"
Booktalk: Discover the history of the Games from their origins in ancient Greece to the 2012 Olympics in London. Snippet: The Olympic Games are the world's biggest sporting event. The Summer Olympics are held every four years in a different city. More than 10,000 athletes from around 200 different countries come together to compete in the Games. - Anastasia Suen Booktalking blog http: //asuen.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/nonfiction-monday-32/-- "Booktalking blog"
Combining a brief history of several sports with records data, this Real World Data book uses a variety of time lines, line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, and pictographs to show how Olympic records and other sports-related facts can be depicted. Booklist Quick Tips-- "Booklist Quick Tips"
From its origins and growth to the athletes and hosting countries, this introduction to the Olympics arrives just in time for the 2012 games. Sidebars featuring athletes, technology, and memorable moments add meaning and significance to the information while photographs, maps, and diagrams support the accessible text. The small font and uninspired design may deter some readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. - TLD (Tamara DePasquale) The Horn Book Spring 2012-- "The Horn Book"
Informative guidebook to the Olympics for 11-13 year olds, in time for the London Olympics in July 2012. Contains interesting facts and figures, pictures, history and trivia from ancient times to the present. - Clare CannonGoodReads.com Review2/23/2012-- "GoodReads.com Review"
The summer Olympics in London will increase student interest in learning more about the games. Tracing its history back nearly 3,000 years to ancient Greece, the Olympics were so important all wars ceased for its duration. Revived by a Frenchman who loved amateur sporting excellence, the games began again in 1896 after having ended in 393CE and became a truly global competition when revived once more after World War II. The huge number of sports that make up the games explains why it is such an enormous undertaking, and Nick Hunter covers these in general as well as the specific controversies that have erupted over drugs, money, and corruption. Throughout the book, color-coded blocks highlight biographies of important people, technology, great competitors, and behind the scenes looks at various aspects of the games. Hunter includes lists of records and total medals won by countries, a timeline, map of host cities, recent summer and winter sports, further resources, glossary and an index. Hunter, Nick. Inside the Olympics. Raintree, 2012, 64 p. 978-14329-5488-8 (Gr. 4-8) -School Librarian's WorkshopJune/July 2012-- "School Librarian's Workshop"
This summer the Olympics are back, this time in London. From July 27th to August 12th television sets around the world will tune in to watch the games, some of which are only seen during the Olympics, such as archery, fencing, and this year trampolining. More than 10,000 athletes from close to 200 countries will be at the Olympics, ready to prove they are the best at 300 different events. This will be a huge gathering of athletes, trainers, coaches, and spectators. Inside the Olympics contains loads of information. It begins by tracing the history of the games from its inception 3000 years ago in Greece to the modern Olympics of today. Have you ever seen an Olympic medal up close? In this book you will, plus read biographies of great athletes, get a look at what happens behind the scene to make everything work correctly, learn about some of the Olympics greatest moments, its controversies, and its technologies. Author Nick Hunter even tells us about the Paralympic Games, which occur a week after the Olympic Games end, using the same facilities. With the summer games just a few months away, this is a great guide if you are interested in everything Olympics. I liked this guide. This is an easy read and in logical order. It is not crammed with lists and statistics. The author chose some of the greatest moments to highlight and some interesting biographies. I like that he does not spend several pages explaining one sport or just the major sports like basketball and track. This year the trampoline is an official event for the first time. I remember going to a trampoline park as a kid. There were dozens of trampolines stretched over open cement. It looked like a large pool hall with sunken tables. If trampolining is a hit in the London Summer Olympics, I wonder if those parks will return. I read this book as a digital on my PC. At times, it was difficult to read the text without zooming in, which I do not like to do. Another version, such as a Kindle, (my choice until an iPad drops in my lap), was not available and I have not seen the print version. Still, Inside the Olympics is entertaining. Definitely opt for the print version. With the Olympics opening just a few weeks before the end of the school year, it is a good bet teachers will find a way to bring the games into the classroom. This book would be ideal for any child, even if not used for school. Once these games start, questions will abound. I know I always bombarded my father with all sorts of questions. This book would have answered many of those for me. It not only details the different sports involved, but also the technology needed, short biographies, great moments, discontinued sports, controversies, and what happens after the games end. Inside the Olympics is jam-packed with information that will satisfy the casual observer to the ardent fan. After reading it, I can honestly say that watching this year's Summer Olympics will be more fun because I now understand more about the games. Knowledge is power. Nick Hunter's Inside the Olympics gives a fascinating, yet condensed, history of the Olympics going back to its inception and then forward to today, adding many of the modern-day twists and turns the games have taken. This short primer is excellent for younger kids who want to become more familiar with this centuries old, world gathering tradition. Kid Lit Reviews 2.24.2012 http: //kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/02/21/inside-the-olympics-by-nick-hunter/-- "Kid Lit Reviews"
This work proves an overview of the Olympics, covering such items as the ancient games, hosting the Olympics, and controversies surrounding the games. The book contains many photos, sidebars, and maps. The work includes Olympic records, a list of host cities, Olympic sports, a list of suggested readings, and a glossary. Possible Grade Level/Content Correlations: This work would be a solid supplement to an existing collection. It would be particularly useful in a collection at the intermediate or middle school level. - T. Saunders, Central School Omaha Public Schools 3/6/2013-- "Omaha Public Schools"
This 64 page book starts with the ancient Olympics and continues on through the revival in the late 1800s. It then follows a few notable historic games and then covers how the games are set up, hosted, and carried out. Record holders are mentioned, as are controversies that have arisen over the years. Photos and statistics add to the narrative. Strengths: I liked how the 2012 games are covered a bit-- how London was chosen, what sort of preparations are being made-- while still remaining primarily a history book. This is a book well worth having, since there is usually a call for more than one copy. Ms. Yingling Reads blog 3/19/2012 http: //msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2012/03/nonfiction-monday_19.html-- "Ms. Yingling Reads blog"
