Outstanding Olympic Reads For Readers of All Ages

Sisters: Venus and Serena Williams written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

This has been a long-time favorite in our house! You can read my full review of this book from back in 2019 here. Ages 3-8

Little People, Big Dreams: Jesse Owens by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illustrated by Anna Katharina Jansen

At only 32 pages, with sparse text and engaging illustrations, this whole series is a wonderful way to introduce your youngest readers to biographies! Ages 4-7.

Be sure to check out the other Olympic athletes featured in the Little People, Big Dreams series, such as Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, Michael Jordan, Megan Rapinoe, Wilma Rudolph, Muhammad Ali, and Evonne Goolagong,

Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

We all know Michael Jordan, and we all know what an incredible athlete he is. But, did you know that as a child he almost gave up playing basketball altogether? Fortunately for Jordan and all of his fans, he had thoughtful parents who persuaded him to be patience, keep his determination up, and work hard, rather than quit. Ages 4-8.

Touch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper by Ann Malaspina, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

Alice Coachman is worth learning about, in my opinion! The way she forged paths when roadblocks were in her way is amazing. And, she was the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal… accomplishing this in the first post-WWII Olympics! Ages 4-8.

Unbeatable Betty: Betty Robinson, the First Female Olympic Track & Field Gold Medalist by Allison Crotzer Kimmel, illustrated by Joanie Stone

Even though I was a runner myself, I will admit I’d never heard of Betty Robinson until I read Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team a few years ago. She’s fascinating, joining the boys’ high school track team when no girls’ team existed, competing in the first Olympics in which women were allowed to run (and winning the first female to win an Olympic gold in track), breaking a leg in a biplane ride between Olympic appearances… You’ll have to read to learn more about her! Ages 4-8

She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

Featuring a new athlete on each page, this book is a great way to keep young readers’ attention while also introducing them to a wide variety of women. Featured Olympic athletes include golfer Margaret Ives Abbott, swimmer Gertrude Ederle, track athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias, track athlete Wilma Rudolph, Paralymic wheelchair racer Jean Driscoll, Mia Hamm and the 1996 women’s soccer team, ice skater Kristi Yamagushi, tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, volleyballers Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, basketballer Diana Taurasi, gymnast Simone Biles, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, and ice hockey twins Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux. Ages 4-8

Swimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini’s Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic Swimmer by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Asthma Enayeh

Swimming was my other main sport in high school, yet I’d never heard of Yusra Mardini until a few weeks ago when I came across this book. As a child in Syria, Yusra had dreams of swimming in the Olympics, dreams that you may have guessed were almost dashed by war. Most of the book is about her escape from Syria, but we do get to follow along as she achieves her Olympic dream, competing in Brazil on the first-ever Refugee Team. Ages 4-8

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Kroll, illustrated by David Diaz

As a girl born in Tennessee, I grew up knowing of Wilma Rudolph, but as I’ve since lived all over the country, I’ve learned that most people have never heard of her. And you should know this inspiring story, which includes overcoming polio, setting multiple track world records, and winning numerous Olympic medals. Ages 5-9

Nadia, the Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still by Karlin Gray, illustrated by Christine Davenier

You might know the name Nadia Comaneci, and you might remember that she was the first person ever to receive a perfect score in gymnastics in the Olympics! But you probably didn’t realize that in her first National Junior Championships meet, she fell off of the balance beam… three times! Ages 6-9.

Magic Tree House Hour of the Olympics and Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Ancient Greece and the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

My girls love the Magic Tree House series so much that at one point, they had a few of the stories memorized word-for-word. Obviously, the Fact Tracker here is going to be the more informative of the two books, but I’d encourage young readers to read these two as they were meant to be read — together! Ages 6-9 and 7-10, respectively.

The Story of Simone Biles: A Biography Book for New Readers by Rachelle Buck

At 66 pages and with full-color illustrations, this one is bound to be a hit with aspiring gymnasts, or people like me who just love to watch Olympic gymnastics. Each chapter also has a timeline and most have maps, helping young readers to accurately understand the story of Simone’s life. Ages 6-9

This is a delightful first chapter book biography series, so I hope to see more athletes featured as the series grows!

Girls with Guts! The Road to Breaking Barriers and Breaking Records by Debbie Gonzales, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

Starting with a little history of the Olympic Games, both ancient and modern, this delightful book covers the history of women’s sports in and out of the Olympics. Featured Olympians include marathoner Melpomene, swimmer Gertrude Ederle, and swimmer Donna de Varona. Ages 6-9

Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends by David Stabler and Doogie Horner

This full chapter book (208 pages) contains chapters about 16 athletes, male and female, in a wide variety of eras and sports. Featured Olympic athletes include gymnast Gabby Douglas, basketballers Yao Ming and Michael Jordan, boxer Muhammad Ali, and footballer Lionel Messi. Ages 7-10 (but likely interesting for older readers, too)

How Do You Become an Olympian?: A Book About the Olympics and Olympic Athletes by Madeleine Kelly, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

I picked this one up at a local bookstore this spring and am thrilled to have it in our collection! Kelly, an Olympic track athlete herself, teaches readers about the ancient Greek Olympics, then moves to the modern Games, which started up again in 1896 in Greece. It then teaches young readers all that athletes do to become Olympic athletes, how Olympic teams are formed, new events in modern Olympics, and so much more. Throughout the book, readers can learn inspiring stories about Olympic athletes, such as when one runner helped another up after she fell in the 5K! Ages 7-10

Who Was Muhammad Ali? by James Buckley, Jr.

Many of you are likely familiar with this biography series, a great step up in reading level from the Biography Book for New Readers series mentioned above. Fortunately, this well-established series also includes lots of Olympians. In addition to Muhammad Ali, I checked out the Michael Jordan book for our shelves this summer. Age range varies in the series but is generally 7-11.

Other Olympic athletes in the Who Was? series include Wayne Gretzky, Jesse Owens, and Michael Phelps, among many others!

Sports Superstars: Lionel Messi by Anthony K. Hewson

My soccer-obsessed girls love all things U.S. Women’s National Team, but they’re slowly embracing men’s soccer, too. I checked this one out from the library so they could learn about Messi. We’re sorry he won’t be in this Olympics but are excited to learn about him anyway! Ages 7-11

Olympic GOATs: The Greatest Athletes of All Time by Bruce Burgling (Sports Illustrated Kids)

This is a bold title, given that Olympic athletes, by nature of being Olympians, are the best in their respective sports. Structured with a spread per athlete (12 total, including two full teams), featured Olympians include speed skater Eric Heiden, track athlete AND bobsledder Lauryn Williams, and diver Greg Louganis. Ages 8-11 (but very accessible for younger readers, in my opinion)

She Shoots, She Scores!: A Celebration of Women’s Soccer by Catriona Clarke and Sarah Long

We actually bought the British version (A Celebration of Women’s Football) of this book on a recent trip to London, and my girls have flipped through it almost every day since. Not Olympics-focused, this is full of information about women’s soccer and does include player profiles on Olympians like Michelle Akers and Alex Morgan, as well a section on the Olympics. Ages 8-11

Olympics History by Moira Butterfield

I couldn’t have an Olympic bookshelf without a book on the history of the Olympics. Unfortunately, it was hard for me to find one published in the last 15 years! Our local library did have this one, though, published in 2012, and I’ve loved digging into the evoluation of the Games not only since the Ancient Olympics, but also since 1896. Ages 8-12

Chase Your Dreams: How Soccer Taught Me Strength, Perseverance, and Leadership by Julie Ertz

Less a biography and more an inspirational book, my girls have loved learning how Julie Ertz became the woman and soccer player that she is. Ertz structured this around essential character traits for anyone with a dream, and my girls have loved reading this a little bit at a time. Ages 8-12

What are the Summer Olympics? by Gail Herman

A companion series to Who Was…?, the What Was…? series does an equally great job of teaching children about historical and contemporary events around the world. We loved reading What is the Women’s World Cup? in 2023 and are excited to check this out this summer. Ages 8-12

Be sure to also check out What are the Paralympic Games? and What are the Winter Olympics?

Rebel Girls Champions: 25 Tales of Unstoppable Athletes

I love that this short anthology (64 pages) includes many athletes I’ve never heard of, as well as sports that we don’t know much about in our house. Featured Olympians include ice hockey player Brigette Lacquette, pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi, track athlete Allyson Felix, snowboarder Chloe Kim, gymnast Suni Lee, swimmer Ariarne Titmus, boulderer Miho Nonaka, BMX cyclist Charlotte Worthington, and weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz. Ages 8-12

Kid Olympians Summer: True Tales of Childhood from Champions and Game Changers by Robin Stevenson, illustrated by Allison Steinfeld.

Another book in the Quirk Books Kid Legends series, Stevenson and Steinfeld knocked this one out of the park! Published just in time for the Paris 2024 Games, your kids will love reading about sprinter Usain Bolt, Paralympian Tatyana McFadden, and high jumper Dick Fosbury (of the famed Fosbury Flop), among many others. Ages 8-12. Many thanks to Quirk Books for sending us a copy!

Breakaway: Beyond the Goal by Alex Morgan

My then 10-year-old daughter chose this book for a biography book report in fifth grade this spring and DEVOURED it! This is bound to be an inspiration for any soccer-loving girls (or boys), even though Morgan won’t be a part of the 2024 Olympics. Ages 9-12

Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win written and illustrated by Rachel Ignotofsky

With a dense spread dedicated to each athlete, featured Olympians include figure skater Madge Syers, diver Aileen Riggin, track athlete Bobbie Rosenfeld, volleyball player Flo Hyman, and heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, among others. With 50 athletes, your readers are bound to be inspired by someone new, Olympian or not! Ages 10 and up

The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers’ Adaptation): The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown

We managed to snag a Wonderbook version of this from our local library, so we can listen to the audio or read along if we want to. This Young Readers’ Adaptation stays true to the original story of the 1936 American Olympic rowing team, while being accessible to children and teenagers who aren’t yet ready or able to read the adult version. Ages 10 and up