What Are the Summer Olympics?

What was...?

by Gail Herman, Who H.Q., Stephen Marchesi (Illustrator)

Back in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honor and respect to their homelands.

The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with over two hundred athletes from fourteen countries. Today, nearly three thousand years after the first Games, the Summer Olympics attract one hundred thousand top athletes from over two hundred countries. Billions of fans around the world cheer on their national teams to bring back the gold.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Childrens, History, Middle Grade, Summer, Chapter Books

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2016

About the author

Gail Herman, formerly a children's book editor in New York City, has written picture books, easy-to-reads, and chapter books, including many titles in the Who Was/What Was series. She lives in Newton, Massachusetts with her family.

Reviews

[Pumkin pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book about the history of the Summer Olympics. I never realized that there were so many interesting stories and such an interesting history! It was a very nice and short read. I reccomend this book to people who enjoy sports.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good especially for the upcoming Olympic Games!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally played around 775BC, the Summer Olympic Games faded and went away until their revival in 1896 as the modern Olympics. What Are the Summer Olympics by Gail Herman presents the history of the original Olympics played in Greece by athletes from all parts of the country. Originally they consisted of some of the core competitions of today and athletes competed naked; how times have changed! The author goes into some detail of what it took to restart the games, the competitions added over the years, how politics affected the games, teams (governments) that boycotted the games, highlights of some of the record-setting athletes, and much more. Really a good and fast read if you are looking for an overview of the Summer Olympics!

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We read this on a Thursday/Friday before the opening ceremonies and it was a good way to get in the mood, but honestly it was just okay. The book starts at the ancient games and then goes through each decade from the beginning of the modern games. I think it did a good job of summarizing things, but the athletes they chose to highlight were interesting and the bad things that happened were a little jarring for this age group. Not that the real stuff shouldn't be included, it just either needed more explanation or something. Overall it was alright.

[Chelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oops. I was so tired when I was writing my review that I accidentally made it an update.

This book was pretty good. It gave a decent history on the summer Olympics and how the started so long ago in Greece. I wish that it went into more detail about the different sports, but I did enjoy learning about athletes from long ago. I will say that what they wrote about Kerri Strug didn’t feel accurate, but then again, it is a book for kids.

[Maddie Danz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a quick easy read one day over break. I had gotten this book a few years ago and didn't read it until now. It was a good informational non-fiction book about how the Olympics have changed over the years and what happened to change or stop the Olympics in certain years. It started with the first Olympics in Greece and continues till the 2016 Olympics (was written in 2016). It told the biggest stars and moments of each decade's Olympics.

[Jill Holmberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because all the kids who come to my library love this series so I thought I might try one! This had a lot more information than I was expecting but a good resource. I even learned some new things myself. The only downside is they didn't talk about at all, the cultural side of the opening ceremony relating to the host country's history. It would've been a nice touch.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides a succinct history and breakdown of the summer Olympics for kids. I like how each of the chapters focus on a specific time period, highlighting different sports and notable athletes. The book does not shy away from weighty associated material, including information about Hitler, civil rights, the Munich massacre, the Cold War, AIDS and doping.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short summary of the history of the summer olympics for kids and including some interesting tidbits about specific events and people. I really appreciated the photos in the middle beyond the usual illustrations.

[Tam Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as a read aloud during our Olympic themed summer school. Very interesting how and why the Games changed over time. Enjoyed learning the traditions that continue to today. Frustrating how women were and are treated by the olympics. Lots of great student discussions!

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my oldest boys as part of our homeschool. It prompted lots of great discussions, including WWII and the Nazis. It was neat to have such a broad overview of history as it relates to the Olympics. Love this series!

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book because it is full of good history and it has a very detailed explanation of how the olympics started and the devices people used and they also talk about the events and they talk about the amazing accomplishments that people have done. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

the summer olypics is a game and have to see who's the best at running or swmming etc. facts before they used to run and do the games without cloths. and who even made this game greek.and then people joind so that is what the those circles mean.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this children's non fiction book about the olympics. It was cool to read about names i had admired as a child but hadn't thought about in decades. I wish it had been a little longer. I love the Olympics and am proud of the unity it brings. Informative and easy to read.

[Lindsay Hellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely counting this read aloud towards by total of books read. This was a great, easy read for our family as we studied the summer Olympics. I even learned some things about the Olympics history that I had not know before reading.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the history of Olympics in this book, it’s just gave me the hint of let’s make it to the summer of 2020 Olympics in Tokyo/Japan !!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for elementary age kids covering the basics of the Olympics.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if politics can be kept out of it, these games are a good way to bring people together.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This contained lots of cool facts about the games. I learned a lot.

[Wendy Kennar · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son and I read this together. While we learned a lot, we found it odd that there was no mention of the Olympic Rings and their symbolism.

[Richard Sorsby-Eichelmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very good

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing the Olympics in person has always been on my bucket lidt

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book written about the past and present about the summer Olympics

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doing some extra research 🤓

[Jenna_readit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more about actual performances at the games - not so much the history or behind the scenes.

[Janna Cressman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend that parents preview this or read this to there children. There may be some content you will want to filter.

[Nicole]

Emmett wasn't into it this year. Maybe in 2028.

[Anniston Townes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good for learning new information about the Olympics.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

I've always wondered why the people on the cover have massive heads

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with lots of intriguing facts. I learned a lot about the great athletes who participated in the Olympics, especially strong women and minorities.