Jeanne G. (IlliniAlum83) -
My bookclub read this for this month, but we were not aware when one member picked it that it was written on a YA level. 4 of our 8 members are retired teachers and all agreed. Some of us didn't like the title --"Road to Rio" would have been more appropriate.
With NYT best-selling author, Michelle Burford, Simone tells her story of being adopted by her grandparents in Texas after her single mom couldn't properly parent the 4 children in their Ohio home. She explains how she joined gymnastics to deal with her excess energy as a child.....it wasn't til later that she was diagosed and put on medication for ADHD. The book takes us through her levels as she reaches elite status at a younger age than most gymnasts and Simone can truly begin to dream of going to the Oylmpics some day when she is old enough. She also shares how her Catholic faith affected the person she would become.
We see her many trips to regional and National competitions and finally Worlds where she sets a record for winning gold for the overall category 3 times in a row. When she reached National attention, she was finally invited to the "Ranch" for training and consideration by the Karolyis for future US teams. Simone shares how she met and befriended many of the 'name' gymnasts we all have come to know and love. She was even reprimanded by Martha Karolyi for giving postitive feedback to her competitors, but that is just part of Simone's bubbly personality. A timeline of meets and results would have been nice to see as a graphic to help keep track of the many competitions throughout the book.
And the dreams of a ltltle girl with 'too much energy' finally results in her success with the 'Final Five' at the Rio Olympics in 2016. (Final Five was the name the Olympic team chose for themselves as the 5 girls who would compete in Rio as that year was the last time 5 gymnasts would be on each team [ plus alternates]. 2020/21 in Japan allowed only 4 [plus alternates] to compete.)
[though published in 2016 shortly after the Olympics, this book totally ignores the sexual abuse that was ongoing at the time....the book stays positive; hoping to challenge other young people to 'go for the gold'.]
With NYT best-selling author, Michelle Burford, Simone tells her story of being adopted by her grandparents in Texas after her single mom couldn't properly parent the 4 children in their Ohio home. She explains how she joined gymnastics to deal with her excess energy as a child.....it wasn't til later that she was diagosed and put on medication for ADHD. The book takes us through her levels as she reaches elite status at a younger age than most gymnasts and Simone can truly begin to dream of going to the Oylmpics some day when she is old enough. She also shares how her Catholic faith affected the person she would become.
We see her many trips to regional and National competitions and finally Worlds where she sets a record for winning gold for the overall category 3 times in a row. When she reached National attention, she was finally invited to the "Ranch" for training and consideration by the Karolyis for future US teams. Simone shares how she met and befriended many of the 'name' gymnasts we all have come to know and love. She was even reprimanded by Martha Karolyi for giving postitive feedback to her competitors, but that is just part of Simone's bubbly personality. A timeline of meets and results would have been nice to see as a graphic to help keep track of the many competitions throughout the book.
And the dreams of a ltltle girl with 'too much energy' finally results in her success with the 'Final Five' at the Rio Olympics in 2016. (Final Five was the name the Olympic team chose for themselves as the 5 girls who would compete in Rio as that year was the last time 5 gymnasts would be on each team [ plus alternates]. 2020/21 in Japan allowed only 4 [plus alternates] to compete.)
[though published in 2016 shortly after the Olympics, this book totally ignores the sexual abuse that was ongoing at the time....the book stays positive; hoping to challenge other young people to 'go for the gold'.]
