High-Flying Gymnastics
Books for Kids and Teens

by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Photo credit: Thomas Barwick, Stone Collection/ Getty Images

I was terrible at gymnastics. I was never even able to do a cartwheel. But I. Did. Not. Care. I loved watching it. There was something thrilling and fascinating and beautiful about the sport that made it so dear to me. I still hold my breath during a beam routine and exhale loudly when a landing sticks. As the Summer Olympics approach, names like Gabrielle Douglas, Mary Lou Retton, Simone Biles, Nastia Liukin, Dominique Dawes, and Kerri Strug are constantly on my mind.

Here in the U.S., as we remember “The Magnificent Seven,” celebrate the recent successes of “The Fierce Five,” and wait to see what new stories Rio will bring, it’s a great time to check out these gymnastics-themed titles for kids and teens (and their gymnastics-loving parents).