9th
August
2008
Summer Olympics 2008
posted in nonfiction, miscellany, sports, literature/curriculum ties |
In case you hadn’t heard, the Olympics have begun! Below are a few web resources and books to check out, in case you find yourself needing something to do in-between events.
A Few Olympic Web Resources
- BBC’s animation on the ancient Greek Olympics
- CBBC Newsround Special Report on The Olympics
- CNN’s Report on the Olympics
- The History Channel has a collection of video clips from different historic Olympic events
- Infoplease’s Olympics 2008
- Internet Public Library’s Olympics Pathfinder
- A Voice of America Special English piece on Tibet and the Olympics
- From the International Olympic Committee: Animated tutorials covering sports at the summer games and videos of moments in past Olympics
- PBS’ Online News Hour China Prepares for 2008 Olympics
- New York Times map of Olympic Medals with an interactive visual for charting medal winning over time
- Scholastic’s Olympics Research Starters
- What Sporting Type are You?: interactive quiz from CNN
- Lists:
A Few Olympic Books
Fiction
For Kids
- Asterix at the Olympic Games (Asterix) by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
- Elympics: Poems (Olympics) by X. J. Kennedy
- Koala Lou by Mem Fox
- The Mud Flat Olympics by James Stevenson
- Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester
- Hour of the Olympics (Magic Treehouse #16) by Mary Pope Osborne
For Young Adults/Adults
- Before I Go by Riley Weston
- Bone Cage by Angie Abdou
- Lori: The Circle of Friends (Book 1) by L. Diane Wolfe
Nonfiction
For Kids
- Olympics (DK Eyewitness Books) by DK Publishing
- The Olympics: Legendary Sports Events by Matt Christopher
- Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull
- The United States Olympics Committee has also made available publications for teachers to help them bring the Olympics into the classroom: Journey to Beijing, Grades 1-3 by United States Olympic Committee and Journey to Beijing, Grades 4-6 by United States Olympic Committee
For Young Adults/Adults
- Beijing’s Games: What the Olympics Mean to China by Susan Brownell
- The Encyclopedia of the Summer Olympics (Watts Reference) by David Fischer
- The Night Olympic Team: Fighting to Keep Drugs Out of the Games by Caroline Hatton
- Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World by David Maraniss
- Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics by Sue Macy
Reference
- The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition by David Wallechinsky
There’s no shortage of things to watch (for example, the first Team USA game, USA vs China, is at 10:15am ET the morning of August 10) and to think and pray about (for example, the Bachman family and all those who are present for the games and other controversies that have continued to surround the Beijing games) as the Olympics proceed.
