I believe this is going to be our last Summer Book Club book - next week we will start our August Author Showcases - so there will be more reviews & giveaways to share as well as hopefully a couple of great author Q&A's.
In two weeks we will be featuring the Suzies Shoesies series - a story about a young girls with magic time traveling shoes. We'll learn about strong women who make a difference in history, solve some mysteries and more! Stay tuned!
~ Review & Giveaway
I can't think of a series of books that is more timely for the Summer Book Club than the NEW Middle Grade Series: Go-For-Gold Gymnasts by 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Dominique Moceanu and co-author Alicia Thompson!
Book 1: Winning Team
Book 2: Balancing Act
$5.99 (paperback)
In the final book of The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series, Christina, the diva of the team, has an unexpected twist coming her way—a hurt heel! She's the reigning queen of the floor event, but how is she going to compete now?
Purchase all 3 for $17.97 & these books are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 & they are also eligible for the 4 for 3 promotion! (just click on any of the links above to order the set)
Go For Gold Gymnasts (series)
by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson
Book 1: Winning Team 978-1423136330
Twelve-year-old Brittany Lee Morgan is the best. Or, at least she was at her gymnastics training gym in Ohio. But when her family moves to Texas for a world-class facility, Britt must prove to her new teammates that she deserves to be an elite gymnast. Read Chapter 1
My Thoughts:
This book opens with Britt heading off to her first gymnastics class at a new Gym - she doesn't know anyone, is 1 of 2 Elite Gymnasts and doesn't know what to expect. Throw in a mom that isn't active in cheering her on and has her own "thing" going on and you have a very interesting book.
Straight forward and very easy to read I found myself sympathizing with Britt even as she puts her foot in her mouth and even though she didn't mean to push the other girls away with her plain speaking ways (read that as a bit of a "know it all") and you've got a girl who's having a hard time making friends and joining in a threesome of girls who already are friends, have plans and don't like her at all. Especially when Britt asks about another girl who she thinks has a eating disorder during a game of Truth & Dare.
Very good book. I highly recommend it for the 5th grade set on up. It's a great way to open up conversations on eating disorders and how to handle it if you think a friend might have a problem. It's also a great book to discuss making friends and keeping them. This would also be a GREAT book for a mother daughter book club or for small group discussion.
This book opens with Britt heading off to her first gymnastics class at a new Gym - she doesn't know anyone, is 1 of 2 Elite Gymnasts and doesn't know what to expect. Throw in a mom that isn't active in cheering her on and has her own "thing" going on and you have a very interesting book.
Straight forward and very easy to read I found myself sympathizing with Britt even as she puts her foot in her mouth and even though she didn't mean to push the other girls away with her plain speaking ways (read that as a bit of a "know it all") and you've got a girl who's having a hard time making friends and joining in a threesome of girls who already are friends, have plans and don't like her at all. Especially when Britt asks about another girl who she thinks has a eating disorder during a game of Truth & Dare.
Very good book. I highly recommend it for the 5th grade set on up. It's a great way to open up conversations on eating disorders and how to handle it if you think a friend might have a problem. It's also a great book to discuss making friends and keeping them. This would also be a GREAT book for a mother daughter book club or for small group discussion.
Book 2: Balancing Act 978-1423136323
Just in time for the 2012 Summer Olymics, the second book in the fliptastic new gymnast series is the perfect companion for any girl who dreams of going for the gold! Attending competitions is an expense Noelle's family can't afford, but she doesn't want to give up her dream of a medal at the Junior National Championships. How will she balance her family, her teammates, and her drive to win the gold? Read Chapter 1
My Thoughts:
This is a story of a family who makes sacrifices to help their child achieve her dream - to go to the olympics and become the best. Her family has mortgaged their home to help pay for her tuition - but when competition comes up Noelle worries about telling her parents she needs more money to go, new leotards and more. That is a lot of stress on a 12 year old girl.
One of the things I really like about this series of books is how the girls learn to lean on , support each other and encourage each other. It opens with an obvious rift down the center of the team but you continue to see their bond form and then strengthen. Another treat is seeing how each girl focuses on their skills and works hard to achieve their dreams. This isn't a series of "wimpy" kids with a sugar coated ending. Also, the author has lived through the experience of reaching for gold and shares the ups and downs and the real life stresses that all the girls undergo as they work toward their goal.
This is a story of a family who makes sacrifices to help their child achieve her dream - to go to the olympics and become the best. Her family has mortgaged their home to help pay for her tuition - but when competition comes up Noelle worries about telling her parents she needs more money to go, new leotards and more. That is a lot of stress on a 12 year old girl.
One of the things I really like about this series of books is how the girls learn to lean on , support each other and encourage each other. It opens with an obvious rift down the center of the team but you continue to see their bond form and then strengthen. Another treat is seeing how each girl focuses on their skills and works hard to achieve their dreams. This isn't a series of "wimpy" kids with a sugar coated ending. Also, the author has lived through the experience of reaching for gold and shares the ups and downs and the real life stresses that all the girls undergo as they work toward their goal.
978-1423136576
Jessie might be the quiet girl on the team, but she's a power-house on the vault. She's tired of her teammates underestimating her, and she's finally ready to show them what she's made of. Get ready for Jessie to follow her dreams and finally becoming an Elite Gymnast.
Book 4: Unexpected Twist
978-1423136583$5.99 (paperback)
In the final book of The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series, Christina, the diva of the team, has an unexpected twist coming her way—a hurt heel! She's the reigning queen of the floor event, but how is she going to compete now?
Purchase all 3 for $17.97 & these books are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 & they are also eligible for the 4 for 3 promotion! (just click on any of the links above to order the set)
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OK - we got the nitty gritty out of the way - on to the giveaway! This week and next you & your kids have the opportunity to WIN the FULL set of the Go-For-Gold Gymnasts series! That's right! Are you ready?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Just in time for the Olympics & School! Go-For-Gold Gymnasts Series Review & Giveaway! Win all 4 books!! 8/31, USsu.pr/2DozxC
— Tina Peterson (@familyliteracy) August 13, 2012
Go For Gold Gymnasts Series will be a great addition to my library. Thank you for the opportunity to win via this giveaway.
ReplyDeleteruthcox at abitosunshine dot net