20 Books for Gymnasts

Countless studies have shown that reading to your child as often as possible encourages early literacy skills, improves their imaginative thinking, and provides a wonderful bonding experience between you and your child. And what better way to encourage of love of reading than through their favorite sport? Here are 20 books that your young gymnast will love, from picture books to early readers to young adult novels.

Picture Books

	She’s Got This By Laurie Hernandez Olympic gold medalist Laurie Hernandez shares the inspiring tale of Zoe, a little girl chasing her dreams and refusing to give up.
	Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still By Karlin Gray Generations of gymnasts have been inspired by Nadia Comaneci, the first gymnast to score the elusive perfect 10 at the Olympics. This picture book tells the story of a feisty and fearless young girl who channeled her energy into gymnastics.
	Jake at Gymnastics By Rachel Isadora Jake and his friends love their action-packed gymnastics class! This easy read is perfect for introducing your aspiring gymnast to the sport before his or her first class.
	D.W. Flips By Marc Brown D.W. from the popular Arthur series decides to give gymnastics a try and learns that it isn't quite as easy as she thought.
	Curious George Gymnastics Fun By H. A. R George tries his first gymnastics class and loves it so much that he wishes he could go every day — so he uses his creativity to turns his own backyard into his personal gym.
	Gymnastics Fun (Strawberry Shortcake) By Mickie Matheis Strawberry Shortcake and her friends are excited to learn that a famous gymnast will be holding a gymnastics camp at their dance school. This sweet story will encourage your child to try something new.
	The Greatest Gymnast of All By Stuart J. Murphy Through gymnastics, this book also introduces your child to early mathematics skills, like learning opposites.
	I Will Try By Marilyn Janovitz Little Ella aspires to be like Jan, the star of her gymnastics class. With the help of Jan's friendship and encouragement, Ella proudly accomplishes her goals.
	Lily's Lucky Leotard By Cari Meister Will Lily's new leotard bring her the luck she needs to land her jump on the beam?
	Tina Tumbles By Danielle Soucy Mills After watching gymnastics on TV, Tina tries to recreate her favorite moves at home and finds out it's not as easy as it looks. She enrolls in gymnastics classes and learns important lessons about confidence, persistence, and focus.

For Young Readers

	Katie Woo Cartwheel Katie By Fran Manushkin Inspired by the gymnasts on television, Katie and her best friend JoJo enroll in gymnastics class — and learn it's going to take a lot more work than they originally thought.
	Gymnastics Jitters By Jake Maddox Dana and her gymnastics team, the Raiders, learn a lesson in sportsmanship when their biggest rivals, the Superiors, don't play fair.
	Gemma the Gymnastics Fairy By Daisy Meadows The fairies of Fairyland are getting ready for the Fairy Olympics, but Jack Frost's goblins have stolen their magic objects and are threatening to ruin the event. In this interactive book, young readers will help the fairies find the missing items in time to save the day.
	The Flip Side By Shawn Johnson Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson's debut young adult novel tells the story of Charlie, a high school sophomore who seems like your average girl but lives a secret life as an elite gymnast.
	Kerri Strug and the Magnificent Seven By Kaitlin Moore The 1996 USA women's gymnastics team made history as the first to win gold at the Olympics. This easy reader shares the story of Kerri Strug and her teammates with a new generation.
	McKenna (American Girl series) By Mary Casanova McKenna has always been a great student and talented gymnast, but when her grades begin to slip and she's sidelined with an injury at gymnastics, she learns a valuable lesson about overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams.
	Gold Medal Summer By Donna Freitas Joey loves gymnastics, but she always falls short of the podium at competitions. She's determined to showcase daring new beam and floor routines and finally win the gold, but she'll have to overcome plenty of obstacles to make it there.
	I’ve Got This! (Perfect Balance series) By Melisa Torres Trista loves tumbling and sets her sights on earning a spot of the Level 3 team. She and her friends, who share her passion for the sport, work together to try and achieve their goals.
	The Gymnastics Series By April Adams This series (Balancing Act, Flipping Out, and Tumbling Dreams) follows the Bellevue Kips gymnastics team as they work to come together as a team and win gold.
	The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series By Dominique Moceanu Written by the youngest member of the gold medal-winning 1996 Olympic gymnastics team, Dominique Moceanu's young adult series tells the tale of Brittany, a twelve-year-old elite gymnast who transfers from her home gym to a world-class training facility. The other girls aren't exactly excited about her arrival, but she's determined to both make friends and succeed in her goals.