Gymnastics Books

Girls Love Gymnastics (American Girl Library)

List Price: $8.95 By: American Girl Publishing Inc Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $1.83

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An Excellent Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love this book. It tells you almost EVERYTHING you need to know about gymnastics! It also tells a few young gymnast and what to do if you have an injury. I recommend this book for any born gymnast.

Great Book for Gymnasts 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is great for young gymnasts. It makes nice gift for any girl interested in Gymnastics. It gives details about the sport and what it takes to succeed. The best part is the section with inspiring stories of what some REAL gymnasts have had to overcome.

Editorial Review:

Whether you are taking your first turn on the balance beam, or if tumbling has tickled your fitness fancy for years, you can jump right into this book. Begin with the basics, read the true stories of real girl gymnasts, and expand your love of the sport with fun gymnastics games, recipes, crafts, and more!

I Love Gymnastics

Naia Bray-Moffatt

Amazon Price: $10.39 List Price: $12.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK CHILDREN Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $1.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful & Adorable! 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This book is pictoral in nature, and follows the progress of a group of young students during a series of gymnastics classes, ending with a competition. The photography is beautiful, and basic gymnastics skills (stretches, splits, cartwheels, etc.) are demonstrated by the students. The book is geared toward young girls, probably around ages 4-8. However, the photography is excellent and the storyline is not too terribly babyish for older fans to enjoy, too. This would be a great addition to a gymnastics library.

Great information 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book for girls who are involved in gymnastics and are inspiring to be on the team someday. It is geared towards girls probably up to age 9-10. I have a 5 and 7 year old that are in gymnastics and really like the book. There are many pictures and descriptions on how to do what is involved and what they can look forward to as they progress. Great book.

Editorial Review:

This charming book is the perfect way to encourage young children to take part in an athletic activity and be the best they can be. I Love Gymnastics follows the progress of a group of young gymnasts as they learn simple balances and other basic techniques before moving on to more challenging moves on the beam and bars.

DK Readers: First Day at Gymnastics (Level 1: Beginning to Read)

Anita Ganeri

Amazon Price: $3.99 List Price: $3.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK CHILDREN Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great for Young Readers! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful book for young children who are learning to read. If they love gymnastics, they'll love this book. My 5 year old daughter takes it to the gym and reads it while waiting for her class. It is a very cute book.

Excellent for beginner gymnasts! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 4 year old is just finishing up her 1st year at gymnastics & is obsessed with it. So I got this book for her birthday & she can't get enough of it. She has memorized the first few pages & it appears that she is actually reading it! She might not be fully reading yet, but she has gained an impressive vocabulary of sight words such as leotard, stretch and balance. So if your child is six or under & likes gymnastics, this is a must buy!

Editorial Review:

Written by children's authors and compiled by leading experts in the field of literacy, DK READERS capture children's interest and help them learn.

DK Readers is a multi-level learning-to-read program combining DK's highly visual style with appealing stories at four graduated levels. Stunning photographs and engaging, age-appropriate stories are guaranteed to capture a child's interest while developing reading skills and general knowledge. DK Readers allow progression from stories for beginning readers with simple sentences and word repetition through to stories with rich vocabulary and more challenging sentence structure for proficient readers.

I Want to Be a Gymnast (DK READERS)

Kate Simkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

My daughter enjoyed this book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book for my 6 year old budding gymnast and she really enjoyed it. She could read it by herself and the "workout" described in the book was really similar to the workout she receives at her gymnastics class. I would recommend this book.

I am a big fan of DK early readers 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

They're simple. They're informative. They're cheap. If your child is too young to read, they're perfectly good read-aloud books.

What more can you ask for when stocking your kid's library?

The routines in this book are pretty realistic, and the girls' concerns and triumphs are clearly shown - seems like it'd be pretty encouraging to any girl taking gymnastics.

Editorial Review:

Back in full force with 7 all-new titles, DK Readers allow beginning readers to progress from easy-to-follow stories with simple sentences and word repetition to more sophisticated storylines, sentence structure, and vocabulary.

The Gymnastics Book: The Young Performer's Guide to Gymnastics (Young Performer's Guide)

Elfi Schlegel, Claire Ross Dunn

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Firefly Books Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $7.37

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Almost nothing for/about boy's/men's gymnastics 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Nice book, but do not be misled by info in reviews here - there is almost nothing on men's competitions or male competitors. I originally purchased it for my nephew, but found that all of the photos of young competitors were little girls.

Editorial Review:

This indispensable guide is simply the best book for beginners to the sport of artistic gymnastics. Illustrated with stunning full-color photographs of gymnasts swinging, balancing, tumbling and jumping, The Gymnastics Book features skilled guidance from a medal-winning athlete who is now a noted instructor. The topics covered in detail include finding a good gymnastics club, qualities to look for in a coach, warm-up and cool-down exercises, moving into competitive gymnastics, managing victories and losses, the importance of family and friends, nutrition and apparel, financial aspects, and a typical day in the life of a competitive gymnast.

The book is also filled with anecdotes and advice from Olympic stars, taking beginners behind the scenes and offering a no-holds-barred account of the life of a competitive gymnast.

Gymnastics: The Trials, the Triumphs, the Truth (Puffin Nonfiction) (Puffin Nonfiction)

Dan Gutman

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Puffin Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Pretty Good Book 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This was an okay book, though it probably could have been better. The book includes a history of the sport, its first superstars, the gymnastics events, judging and scoring, a day in the life of a gymnast, superstars of the 1990s, a chapter about the dangers of the sport, (more on that later) a timeline of important gymnastics dates, and trivia and facts. The book is a little dated and could use some updating, and the chapter that dissapointed me a lot was the chapter about "the price of success". Dan Gutman fails to mention that these things don't happen in every sport. He also fails to point out that he is talking about the ELITE level of gymnastics. Anyone who has read "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes" will see that Gutman's source for the ENTIRE chapter was based upon that book! Dan Gutmnan used the same exact information just with different wording! That chapter clearly does not fit in with the rest of the book, which says nothing of the dark side of these sports. If you want to buy this book, I would say save your money and buy a different book- this one isn't the best.

Editorial Review:

How did Kerri Strug go from Olympic hopeful to Olympic champion? How does Dominique Moceanu spend a typical day? This thorough, fun-to-read book answers those questions and many more. You'll learn the ins and outs of the equipment and events, find out how scoring is done, read about the history of the sport, and lots more! Dan Gutman's insider look at gymnastics has been fully updated to include the 1996 Olympics and is sure to enthrall aspiring gymnasts and devoted fans alike. A glossary, a chronology, and an entertaining chapter of gymnastics trivia round out this easily read, timely overview of a popular sport.-- Booklist Dan Gutman is the author of many books for children, including Ice Skating, Taking Flight: My Story by Vicky Van Meter, and World Series Classics. He lives in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Superguides: Gymnastics

Joan Jackman

List Price: $9.99 By: DK CHILDREN Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $0.96

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good! 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I just started gymnastics about two weeks ago because I am a competitive platform diver and my coach suggested taking gymnastics lessons. So I got this book from Amazon.com and I read it and found that it helped me in gymanstics thoroughly. Since I am only a beginner, I found this book helpful. Advanced gymansts may want to read a different book, because this one covers the basics, starting from rolls and going to back handsprings.

The photographs are step-by-step, and crisp, clear, and high-quality. Detailed instructions are also there to accompony each photograph. Another good thing is that all the gymnasts in the book do the skills with very good technique and form, so you'll know the correct and proper way to perform each skill. Plus, there are fun facts, tips, and photos of famous gymnasts that correspond to what you are learning.

Although this book does not cover much on the apparatus, I still think it is a solid introduction for beginners. In the beginning you'll find information about what to look for in a gymnastics club, what to wear to workouts, information about each gymanstics apparatus, etc. At the end of the book there are sections about sports acrobatics, tumbling, and rhythmic gymnastics.

All in all, I would defintely recommend this book to any beginning gymnast of any age, or anyone who is just interested in learning more about this sport. I myself have been following the instructions and tips and I have just about gotten my back handspring by myself- just from reading this book! So definitely check this book out if you're a beginner. Advanced gymnasts would probably enjoy browsing through it, too.

Brittany Marshalls

Editorial Review:

Young players will refer to these instructive "how-to" guides again and again. Superguides are incisive "how-to" books that answer every question a young sports enthusiast might have! These comprehensive guides in vibrant new jackets and under the new Superguides series title are perfect for young athletes. Young Enthusiasts, the original best-selling series, sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Superguides give valuable advice on everything from suitable clothing to strategy development. Each book includes detailed information on rules, objectives, scoring, and much more.

A Word About Gymnastics (A Word About)

Lynne Gibbs

Amazon Price: $3.95 List Price: $3.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Brighter Child Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $1.10

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Children will get excited about gymnastics with this amazing book that teaches them the basics of gymnastics!

A Word About Gymnastics is a beginner’s guide that teaches the basics of gymnastics! Readers will learn what to wear, how to warm up, and the basic gymnastics equipment is illustrated and explained, from bars and beam to the pommel horse and rings. A full-color, pull-out poster illustrates basic gymnastic floor positions. A glossary emphasizes important vocabulary.

The A Word About series teaches children important information about the hobbies they love! Help gymnasts, ballet dancers, soccer players, and horse enthusiasts learn basic rules, movements, positions, and equipment of their favorite activities. Each title also features a large, colorful pull-out poster.

Carly Patterson: Be Strong (Positively for Kids Books: Gymnastics)

Carly Patterson; Clint Kelly

List Price: $15.95 By: Positively for Kids, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $0.01

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Editorial Review:

2004 Olympic all-around gold medalist Carly Patterson describes her journey from cartwheeling in her backyard to standing on the winner’s podium in Athens, Greece. Carly was just 16 years old when she became the second American female in history to win the gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition.

Back Handsprings: The Secret Techniques

Rik Feeney

Amazon Price: $17.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Richardson Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 22 new & used starting at $16.82

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A "must-have" for anyone seeking to master the back handspring. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Written by former competitive gymnast and current trainer Rik Feeney, Back Handsprings: the Secret Techniques is a straightforward guide for cheerleaders, gymnasts, dancers, martial artists, and choreographers. Chapters cover the four areas that any athlete needs to work on in order to master the back handspring: conditioning, training, environment, and desire. Black-and-white photographs and diagrams illustrate the step-by-step instructions to strengthening muscles, aligning one's body properly, performing appropriate training drills, and more. "In both the handstand and the back handspring, it is very important that you position your hands correctly to prevent injury to the wrists, elbows, and arms. If your hands are turned out, you can cause the elbows to lock which could lead to hyperextension injuries, dislocations, or worse." A "must-have" for anyone seeking to master the back handspring.

Editorial Review:

BACK HANDSPRINGS: THE SECRET TECHNIQUES uncovers the easy-to-learn drills to safely and successfully learning a back handspring. Heads will turn and crowds will cheer when you tumble across the floor with high-speed, explosive back handsprings! This book contains valuable resources, techniques, and illustrations gathered from master coaches over the past thirty years including suggestions for improvement, that lead to more advanced tumbling skills. Get this book now and get started before your competition does. Make your dream a reality. Order your copy ($19.95) at: www.GymnasticsTrainingTips.com or email coachrik@aol.com for more information. Richardson Publishing, PO Box 162115, Altamonte, FL 32716.