Book Description

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. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good!
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

Pretty Good
I think this is a nice book about gymnastics, but like one reviewer said, it's a little too short. It starts off with a forward by Shannon Miller, a history of gymnastics, what to wear to class, and shows a typical gym. The section with the skills was pretty good, but there weren't many in here. The instructions were nice and detailed, though, and I liked the rythmic gymnastics and sports acrobatics part. It's great for people who want to learn about the sport or beginning gymnasts.

Kinda short...
A very attractive book, but covers only a few moves. (Forward/backward rolls, cartwheels, round-offs, back walk-overs, back handsprings, and handstands.) Not really useful for a girl wanting practical tips. Other apparatus (bars/beam/vault) are barely touched on.

A Really Good Book for Beginning Gymnasts
This is one of the best books on gymnastics I have read. It has pictures that show people how to do the move, and it starts with really simple tricks and moves on to the most difficult trick in the book- a backhandspring. It also has parts on sports acrobatics and rythmic gymnastics. It's a great book, but I would recommend it to beginning gymnasts.

Excellent For Beginning Gymnasts
This is a very good instructional guide for begging to early intermediate gymnasts. It starts off with a forward by Shannon Miller and a history of gymnastics. Most of the book explains how to do artistic gymnastics skills from an easy forward roll to a back handspring. It also icludes sections on rythmic gymnastics and sports and acrobatics. ... Read more

Book Description

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. ... Read more

Book Description

An indispensable guide for beginners to artistic gymnastics, The Gymnastics Book is illustrated throughout with stunning full-color photographs of gymnasts swinging, balancing, tumbling and jumping. The medal-winning author-turned-instructor provides detailed guidance on:
- vault, rings, bars, beam, floor and trampoline
- how to find a good gymnastics club
- what qualities to look for in a coach
- nutrition and apparel
- warm-up and cool-down exercises
- moving into competitive gymnastics.

Filled with anecdotes and advice from past and present stars, such as Tim Daggett, Kim Zmeskal-Burdette, Curtis Hibbert and Yvonne Tousek among others, this is a no-holds-barred account of the life of a competitive gymnast. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Almost nothing for/about boy's/men's gymnastics
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.

Wonderful book !!
I really recommend all parents and children to read this
book whether they are involved or not in gymnastics. It
tells you everything there is to know about the world of
recreational and competitive gymnastics. It also motivates
kids to stay fit,healthy,and doing their best in any aspect
of life. It also informs parents the benefits of hard work
and discipline on children .

Great For Beginners
A wonderful book for those who want to or have just started gymnastics, this book will guide you and makes a great introduction to gymnastics. The book was written Elfi Schlegal, a former Olympian, and has many full-color photographs of famous gymnasts and young gymnasts performing basic gymnastics skills. Some things this book talks about are getting started, finding a gymnastics club, what to look for in a coach, eating healthy, conditioning and warm-up excercises, different gymnastics skills, competitive gymnastics, and much more. Many tips and quotes from famous gymnasts are also in this book, too. This book is a wonderful choice for all beginning gymnasts, and a very wise purchase. ... Read more

Book Description

Gold medal-winning gymnasts always have a beginning. I Love Gymnastics! will take you there. Jane Feldman's beautiful photographs display the practice and care that one young girl and her friends devote to becoming the best gymnasts they can be.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice photos, boring story
I bought this book for my daughter's 7th birthday. She loves gymnastics and eagerly grabbed the book but after flipping through it quickly she declared, "Nice cover but the story is kind of boring." She would have loved more text and a more creative story. ... Read more

Book Description

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.-- BooklistDan 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. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Pretty Good Book
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.

wow amazing!
wow I thought the book thoughlly explained
this graceful and dynamic sport> I recommend this
book to any fan or gymnast.Some people may not agree
with my comments or rating but hey, thats
there opoinion!I am a competitive gymnast and that is
probably why I enjoyed the book so much!

Gymnastics: The Trials, The Triumphs, The Truth
I thought that the book was excellent! It was very well written and it covered a lot of important and interesting things. I would've rated this book at 5 star, but I heard that in a short story about a girl that died because her head slammed into the vault and her neck snapped, then she went into a coma and died, the author didn't mention that when she was in the hospitol her air tube came out and they couldn't put it back in, and that's what made her go into a coma ( and as a result die) that made me angry because I expect the REAL facts when I read a book.

Not the best book on gymnastics....
Well, when I think about it, this book did have some good points. It mentioned things like which gymnasts were hopefuls for the Atlanta Olympics, and which gymnasts have had moves named after them. But there were also a lot of things that the author left out or got innacturate sources on. By 1994, Shannon Miller and Amy Chow both had moves named after them,(Amy had 2), and there was no mention of it. The gymnasts that were World and National Champions got the most attention, and the information was either outdated -- something that I read and thought "Everyone knows that", or just slightly off. I was also not impressed with the section that resembled "Little Girls In Pretty Boxes" by Joan Ryan. If the author was going to criticize the sport, I feel that he could have at least found his own sources and wording to do so. I felt it was unfair to the sport of gymnastics that the author had to devote a whole chapter to the eating disorders and life- threatening injuries of the sport, which made it seem like it happens to everyone in gymnastics. Before writing this book, the author should have considered the fact that a lot of the content could give gymnastics a bad image.... He also could have checked his records to give the reader accurate information, and included facts about the gymnasts that gymnastics fans didn't actually know about before reading the book. Overall, I'd be fair and give this book 2 stars because there was some positively interesting and original information..... but not much.

What a horrible book on gymnastics
As a former gymnast of fourteen years and an avid fan of the sport, I must say that this is the worst book on gymnastics I have ever read in my life. The author seems to have little in-depth knowledge of the sport and certain sections of the book, e.g., the sections on Bela Karolyi and the risks of gymnastics, seem suspiciously similar to two other books, Bela Karolyi's "Feel No Fear" and Joan Ryan's "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes." It's as if he summarized their work to make chapters for his book! Also, he fails to present the whole story when speaking of certain events that have taken place in gymnastics over the years, which may be misleading to the uneducated reader. In discussing Julissa Gomez, he tells you that she fell on her head doing the vault, fell into a coma, and died three years later. What he failed to tell you was that she wasn't in a coma following the vault; injured, yes, but in a coma, no. While in the hospital her breathing tube fell out and she was unable to get any oxygen; this led to the coma.

All in all, this is not a great book. If you want to know about the sport, try "Feel No Fear: The Passion, Power, and Politics of a Life in Gymanstics" by Bela Karolyi; "A History of Women's Gymnastics" by Minot Simons II; or, for a look at the darker side of the sport, "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes" by Joan Ryan.

At the end of the book, the author said that someone asked him what qualifications he has to write a book on gymnastics. He said none. Well, he should have stopped right there! ... Read more

Book Description

They've set their sights on Sydney in 2000!

During the Atlanta Summer Olympics, Americans were transfixed by the Magnificent Seven, the young women who led the United States to its first-ever team gold medal in gymnastics. Since that underdog win, U.S. gymnasts have continued to succeed in international competition, performing routines with power and grace. Just in time for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, here's the scoop on the American gymnasts who are front-runners in the race for Olympic gold, including:

* Kristen Maloney, the two-time national champion who even has an uneven-bars move, "The Maloney," named after her

* Vanessa Atler, a three-time U.S. gold medalist and 1998 Goodwill Games champion, who has been called the new Mary Lou Retton

* Elise Ray, the two-time U.S. gold medalist whose spectacular performance at the 1999 World Championships exceeded all expectations

Plus Morgan White, Jennie Thompson, updates on 1996 gold medalists Dominique Moceanu and Amy Chow, and many more Olympic hopefuls! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Gold medal dreams that sadly never happened
This book was written just before the 2000 Olympics and is full of prognostications of an American women's gold-medal sweep in Sydney to rival their brilliant coupe of the 1996 Atlanta games; sadly, the American women's team that competed in the Sydney Olympics was a rather lackluster group: Not one gymnast made it to the event finals, and the highest individual ranking garnered was Elise Ray's 13th-place finish. It was the most dismal Olympic showing since the 1970's, and you wondered what had happened between 1996 and 2000 that caused the American women to completely fall flat.

This is written in an interesting slant for children, but some of the gymnasts' biographies, even if they are true, are rather invidious and would cause a lot of depression in a young athlete: most of the gymnasts started gymnastics at the age of 3, hit the ground running, and were coached by top-notch coaches who flew gleefully out of retirement upon seeing these girls perform. It must make a young gymnast who hasn't attained such lofty heights what she is doing wrong.

The biggest drawback about this book is the color photos. I don't know if it was poor camera angles, an overall lack of bad form on the gymnasts' part, or both, but these are the worst gymnastics photos I've ever seen. ... Read more

Book Description

With more than 75 color and black-and-white photos, and published just in time for the summer 2000 Olympics, I Am a Gymnast portrays the excitement and dedication of a very young athlete with a dream. Girls and gymnastics fans of all ages will be thrilled to follow 8-year-old McKenzie Foster as she trains with international champion and coach Wendy Hilliard; performs at Rockefeller Center; is interviewed on live TV; and meets her idols, famed Olympic coach Bela Karolyi and Olympic gold medalists Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Deserves ongoing mention and recommendation
I Am A Gymnast deserves ongoing mention and recommendation as a fine introduction to the art of gymnastics. An eight year old who loves the sport provides photo-enhanced details of her activities, her competitions, train, fellow gymnasts and life. A revealing picturebook.

Rhythmicin the spotlight
Jane Feldman does a great job introducing a young rhythmic gymnast and her world.This wonderfully photographedbook is written from the perspective of8 year old gymnast, Mackenzie Foster, as she practices her sport,competesand performs under the guidance of her coach, Wendy Hilliard,whose program in New York City provides gymnastics opportunities to kidswho wouldn't otherwise get a chance to participate in the sport.Few booksfor children focus on rhythmic gymnastics, and this one is sure to beenjoyed by any young girl interested in gymnastics or dance. Parents willappreciate the healthy images and messages about sports conveyed in "IAm a Gymnast". ... Read more

Book Description

A historical overview of the greatest female gymnasts in Olympic history. Includes chapters on Agnes Keleti (the oldest gymnastics gold medal winner), Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, and Kerri Strug. A brief final chapter focuses on future "perfect tens" participating in the summer 2000 Olympic games. ... Read more

Book Description

From bull-leaping in ancient Crete to modern Olympic competition, gymnastics has been one of the most popular sports for thousands of years. This new Best Book covers everything from the sport"s history to how to prepare for gymnastic activities and how to use gym equipment, including trampolines, the uneven bars, and horses. Aspiring young athletes will also find essential information on related concepts such as teamwork, developing balance, and insight into how gymnastic events are judged. ... Read more

Book Description

Gymnastics explains basic moves, routines, and equipment, used byboth boys and girls, and addresses the importance of stretches, warm-ups, and safety. Photos show young gymnasts in action. ... Read more

Book Description

Zoe zips and zooms around the gym. She's on and off the mats, over and under the bar! She's the greatest--in gymnastics and at demonstrating opposites. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Your girls will love this book
There's something quite spellbinding about this book about Zoe, "The Greatest Gymnast of All." The illustrations are colorful andenergetic. The text (with simple demonstrations of opposites) is rollickingfun: "On and off, short and long. I do it all 'cause I'm so strong.I'm zipping, zooming Zoe." My 2 1/2-year-old daughter wants this oneagain and again. She even mimics the actions of the young gymnast as sherolls and flips. This book is a big winner at our house. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Olympic Gymnasts of the World
All gymnasts, even beginners, work very hard on their goals. This book shows that no matter what size you are, you can be a good gymnast. If you're big and powerful you are probably good on floor and vault, or if you're light and flexible you're probably good on beam and bars. This book also shows that gymnastics is a team sport. This book is great and interesting. It shows different gymnasts from different places and different methods. There's all different ways of doing gymnastics, that's what's so cool about it. Read this book!

Very Bad Book!
If you want a good gymnastics book, definitely skip this one. Not only is it inaccurate, it's also boring! This book had way too many mispellings, (ZVannesa?!) and too many inaccuracies. (Kim Zmeskal was not on the '96 Olympic team!) The reason why I gave this book two stars was because it had nice full-color pictures. Otherwise, it was very bad and all gymnastics fans should just skip reading it...

The Worst of the Worst of Gymnastics Books!
Clearly, Rachel Rutledge does not know how to write a decent book of gymnastics. I have read many more that were far better then this one. There is wrong and left out info, (Who says that Kim Zmeskal was on the 1996 Olympic team, and why did Ms. Rutledge leave out Amanda Borden, the team captain?!) Also, there are misspelled words. Vanessa Atler's name is NOT ZVannessa! Plus, why does Dominique Moceanu have to be included in all the gymnastics books I read? She is a wimp and in my opinion, a very bad gymnast. (Sorry Dominique Moceanu fans!) The only thing I thought was good about this book were the pictures. Save your money for a better book.

A rushed, but interesting book
I liked the people in this book, but there were incorrect facts and many typos. If a little more effort would have been put in this book it would be excellent.

TERRIBLE!
I am totally in love with gymnastics, but please, don't ell me that Kim Zmeskal was on the '96 Olympic Team. Nor that Vanessa Atler's name is spelt ZVanessa! I love the pictures, I hate the inaccurate info!!! ... Read more