Happy Book Birthdays! June is coming up Gymnastics.

There's a weird sort of hive mind in the world of publishing and today's post is evidence. Three great books about gymnastics are having their book birthdays today. So if you are a reader who dreams about round-off back handsprings or if you regularly land on a balance beam that is four inches wide today is your day too. 

Happy #bookbirthday to Karlin Gray author of NADIA: THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T SIT STILL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

From Goodreads:

Nadia Comaneci was a feisty and fearless little girl who went from climbing trees in the forests of Romania to swinging into history at the 1976 Olympic Games, where she received an unprecedented seven perfect scores in gymnastics. But as readers will see in this first-ever illustrated picture book about Nadia’s journey to Olympic gold, the road from small-town girl to world-class athlete was full of many imperfect moments. Expert illustrations that capture the energy and fluidity of Nadia's exuberant gymnastic routines and referential back matter round out this inspirational story of determination and overcoming adversity. A perfect 10.

Happy #bookbirthday to Caela Carter author of TUMBLING (Viking Books for Young Readers).

From Goodreads:

Grace lives and breathes gymnastics—but no matter how hard she pushes herself, she can never be perfect enough.

Leigh, Grace’s best friend, has it all: a gymnastics career, a normal high-school life…and a secret that could ruin everything.
Camille wants to please her mom, wants to please her boyfriend, and most of all, wants to walk away.
Wilhelmina was denied her Olympic dream four years ago, and she won’t let anything stop her again. No matter what.
Monica is terrified. Nobody believes in her—and why should they?
By the end of the two days of the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, some of these girls will be stars. Some will be going home with nothing. And all will have their lives changed forever.

Happy #bookbirthday to Shawn Johnson and A.L. Sonnichsen authors of THE FLIP SIDE (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).

From Goodreads:

From gold medalist and reality TV star Shawn Johnson comes a debut YA novel inspired by her own experiences as an elite teenage gymnast—just in time for the Summer 2016 Olympic games.

Charlie Ryland has a secret.
She may seem like your average high school sophomore—but she’s just really good at pretending.
Because outside of school Charlie spends all her waking hours training to become one of the best gymnasts in the world. And it’s not easy flying under the radar when you’re aiming for Olympic gold…especially when an irresistible guy comes along and threatens to throw your whole world off balance.
Inspired by her own experiences as a fifteen-year-old Olympic gymnast, gold medalist Shawn Johnson writes a delightfully entertaining novel about chasing big dreams and falling in love, all while trying to keep it real.

A longer review will follow this week!

As we journey on the Road to Rio this year, I predict that you'll see a lot more books with female athletes. Let's hope that publishers go beyond the well-known sports of soccer, swimming, and gymnastics. I'd love to see a rowing book (ahem, wish it were mine), fencing, or canoeing (see other little known Olympic sports here.)

Sporty Book Birthday! GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE by Paula Stokes

Today is the book birthday for GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE, the wonderful new young adult novel by Paula Stokes from Harper Teen. (Advanced Reader Copy provided by the author.) It’s never too late to catch up on your Paula Stokes reading. We have an interview with her about her 2014 release THE ART OF LAINEY or you can check out Paula’s Facebook, Twitter or Website.

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 So why do I say this book is wonderful? It’s layered. With GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE, Paula Stokes gives us a sporty girl book featuring tennis, a romance based on friendship, and a deeply serious look at mental illness.

Maguire has been through a lot in her young life. In her early teens her father, uncle and brother were killed in a car accident while she walked away without a scratch. Later, a roller coaster careened off the tracks and again she was fine in the midst of suffering. But when her candle set the neighbor’s home on fire things became all to clear for Maguire. She was bad luck, cursed. Her very presence was sure to injure others. At least that’s what she believes. In order to control her world she does safety checks, avoids public transportation, won’t drive with others and hides away from others. It’s not until she meets a wonderful behavioral therapist that things start to change for her.

Maguire’s concrete desire drives the plot and keeps the reader squarely in Maguire’s court. “I want to see where my dad grew up, see my grandma again, meet all my relatives” (Stokes, 28.) The problem? Grandma is in Ireland and Maguire is sure if she’s on that plane, it’ll go down and no one will survive. The reader realizes that the task is large but she is rooting for Maguire every step of the way.

The reader isn’t the only one rooting for Maguire. Stokes has surrounded Maguire with other characters who challenge and support her. The romantic lead is tennis star, Jordy who also sees Dr. Leeds. The friendship between Maguire and Jordy grows believably over time and while there are plenty of references to Jordy’s hotness, I was pleased to see that Stokes allows these teens with issues to take it slowly—and uses humor to build their relationship. Maguire and Jordy have an easy banter that doesn’t feel forced or overly scripted.

The other thing that evolves slowly is Maguire and Jordy’s individual mental health treatment successes. There are no silver bullets when it comes to dealing with mental health issues and early on in the book, when Maguire is ready to be "fixed," Dr. Leeds explains that that isn’t how therapy works.

“You’re not a toaster, Maguire. You’re not here to be fixed…The first thing you need to realize is that mental health is fluid. It’s not like you have an infection and a doctor gives you antibiotics and then you’re cured. No matter what the two of us accomplish together, you’re still going to have good days and bad days…”(Stokes, 27.)

Maguire’s good days come through hard work. She creates a series of goals to work through her PTSD and OCD issues. The goals are presented in a list-form that is seamlessly integrated so it doesn’t stop the flow of the story. (Way to go designers!)    

I did have a few concerns: the friends in her new high school sometimes feel like they stepped off a teen movie set, and there was one point when I jotted down that a scene could have been slowed down to unpack the emotional impact for Maguire.

The most important note I made was, “I don’t want to stop reading!” and if you’re anything like me—GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE, will be on your shelf of sporty girl favorites. 

Reading fiction heightens your awareness and is a catalyst for connections. At the same time I read GIRL AGAINST THE UNIVERSE (April 2016), the magazine Women’s Health published a fabulous article, “Which One of these Women Has Mental Illness,” about the stigmas and realities of living with mental illnesses and the National Center for Health Statistics released their report on suicide. Suicide rates in this country have consistently and constantly increased. A slow rising line that symbolizes the mountain that seems insurmountable for so many who take their own lives. If you are living with any type of mental illness including anxiety, or depression, or if you know someone who is, please get help.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1‑800‑273‑TALK (8255)

SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline –1‑877‑SAMHSA7 (1‑877‑726‑4727)

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