Review: Flying High

Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn.
Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan, New York, 2020.
Picture book biography, 40 pages.
Lexile: AD610L .
AR Level: 3.1 (worth 0.5 points) .

A picture book biography in verse of Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles.

Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn.

I had gotten Brave Ballerina for a child a while back and was delighted to see that the same team worked on this biography of a world-famous gymnast. I’ve previously reviewed her autobiography way back in my first year of blogging, so long time readers of this blog will already know that I’m a fan. 

Review: I Got This

I Got This: To Gold and Beyond by Lauren Hernandez.
HarperCollins Children’s Books, HarperCollins New York, 2017.
YA biography, 231 pages.
Lexile:  1020L.
AR Level:  6.8 (worth 5.0 points) .

Laurie Hernandez was a bit of a dark horse.  Just turned 16 and only recently eligible for the US Olympic team, she not only was part of the winning 2016 gymnastics team, she also won the silver medal in balance beam.  Fresh off her Olympic win, she went on to win Dancing with the Stars, a nationally televised ballroom dancing competition.

This book is definitely a teen read.  Apparently Hernandez’s nickname in the press is the Human Emoji, and she embraces that as each of the 20 chapters has a different emoji associated with it (a few do repeat).   However, she also manages to pack in information about gymnastics and some startlingly good life advice, coming from a 16-year old.

Web: Simone Biles

For the last little bit I’ve been thinking about occasionally sharing websites that relate to the books or topics I’m writing about as well, so here is a new category: Website Wednesday.  I won’t be doing this every week, just as I feel there is something I want to share or remember for later.

Having just reviewed Simone Biles’ new autobiography, I thought I would start off by sharing a few of my favorite sites/articles about her.  There is a lot available, this is just the tip of the iceberg!

The New York Times has a great interactive journalistic piece, which, if it will load on your computer, does a nice job breaking down why exactly Simone Biles is the best gymnast in the world, with lots of videos and commentaries.

NPR has a short interview with her which I enjoyed.

ESPN has a rare interview with her mom that gave additional perspective on her life.

And of course, you can order the book or read the first chapter from her website.

Review: Courage to Soar

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles, with Michelle Burford.
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2016.
Young adult biography/autobiography, 250 pages.
Not yet leveled.

This is the story of Simone Biles, a gymnast who came to national and international attention as the first female gymnast ever to win three consecutive all-around titles, and then again as she took the Olympics by storm in Rio this year.

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford.

This book is co-authored by Michelle Burford, a founding editor of O magazine who has assisted several public figures with their biographies, including Gabby Douglas.