I've Got This!

Perfect Balance Gymnastics #1

by Melisa Torres, Daniel Ramos (Illustrator)

The Perfect Balance Gymnastics Series is a children's chapter book series. Perfect Balance Gymnastics Books teach girls to be kind to each other, flexible in life, courageous, strong, and most of all, confident. The books set the reader in the world of gymnastics. The characters are relatable and have age appropriate challenges. Each book explores a major life lesson that empowers girls to understand their own inner strengths.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction

143 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2016

About the author

Melisa grew up in San Jose, California where she trained at Almaden Valley Gymnastics Club for ten years. Melisa moved through the competitive Junior Olympic levels of USA Gymnastics. She then went on to compete for Utah State University. At Utah State Melisa was part of a record breaking team who won Big West Championships in 1996 and 1998. Melisa was also a two time Academic All-American and team captain.

At Utah State Melisa got her BS in Psychology and a minor in Literature.

​Melisa stays involved in gymnastics by occasionally coaching (as a sub) at local gyms and choreographing floor routines. She also loves following elite and college gymnastics.

Melisa lives in Utah and is a single mother to two active boys. Their favorite things to do together are skiing, swimming, going to the library, and dancing in the kitchen.

Reviews

[Cadee]

"I liked that she made new friends and that it was an awesome book. I will read the next one when someone else brings it back to the library." -Cadee, age 8

[Liralen]

Maybe good for kids getting started in gymnastics. I'm way too old for this series (which I knew going in and is no fault of the books), but I like gymnastics fiction and thought I'd give it a go anyway. It ended up feeling quite uneven, though—Trista is eight, and while sometimes she acts her age (I love that she tries new skills and then gets bored and goofs off instead), sometimes it felt like she was written to be older. The first time a boy steps on set, she gets stomach flutters and goes all incoherent, and guys, she's eight. Can't eight-year-olds just be kids? Makes me miss The Boys Start the War, the Girls Get Even.

[Amanda Davis]

My 8-year-old comp Level 3 gymnast and I enjoyed reading this book together. It felt perfect for her because the main character Trista is also 8 and passionate about gymnastics. The themes of friendship, trying new things, hard work, and believing in yourself are sweet and empowering. We loved seeing familiar skills and the supportive team dynamic.

That said, a couple things pulled us out of the story. Trista's crush on a boy felt more like a 12- or 13-year-old's experience than an 8-year-old's, and her rapid progress on new events (like beam dismounts and vault) was quite unrealistic—even for a gifted gymnast. The book later acknowledges that skills take months or years, which is true, but the early chapters don't show that well.

We also found the brief, somewhat judgmental exchange about Mormons and big families awkward and overgeneralizing (as a member of the Church, it felt off and unnecessary).

Overall, it's a fun, relatable read for young gymnasts despite the minor stretches in realism. My daughter is excited for the next ones and I am cautiously optimistic.

[Brinley]

I liked this book. It shows you how to do tricks.

[Jessica]

I thought this was a YA novel, but instead ended up reading a children’s chapter book that was incredibly sweet.

[Jacqueline]

My six-year-old niece and I are reading this series for our own little book club! I love how this series reminds me so much of my early gymnastics 🤸🏼‍♀️experience. And I love that it teaches life lessons that you can only learn from being a gymnast. Such a cute book with likable, realistic characters.

[Jane]

I loved the book!! But I don’t like how Trista is so whiny.

[Melissa Killian]

A fun start to this gymnastics series for elementary-aged readers, I'VE GOT THIS features eight-year-old Trista who has just moved to a new town and is starting serious gymnastics for the first time (after previously only doing tumbling classes). Trista's voice rings true as an eight-year-old. She wants what she wants, she expects to be good at everything pretty quickly, and she wants a lot of attention. I like that there are actual skills mentioned and explained, and the illustrations of a skill at the beginning of each chapter are great to give readers a visual representation if they are not familiar with the skills themselves. If I'm going to get nitpicky, I'd say that some of the dialogue punctuation mistakes made my inner editor cringe a little, but otherwise I really enjoyed the story and will read more in the series.

[M.K. Tufft]

You don’t have to love gymnastics to love this book!

This book reminded me a bit of the “Shoe” books by Noel Streatfeild, like “Ballet Shoes.”
Like Streatfeild, Torres gives you an insider’s look into a competitive world - gymnastics here - through the eyes of a young girl coming up through the ranks… You follow all the challenges, trials, and triumphs that ensue from setting high goals and working hard.
With themes of “new kid”, friendship & teamwork, challenges, and achieving goals, this book has something for everyone.
Loved it!

[Tenielle Honeycutt]

I give this a 5 because these books are perfect for my daughter. I love how the reading level starts lower with book one and gets harder with each progressive book. I love that each book represents a different girl on the Perfect Balance Team.

[Katie]

Very cute book to read along with my daughter.

[Sonal]

Teresa is really talented because she can do an Ariel.

[Duchess_Nimue]

A cute book on gymnastics. The love for the sport is present on every page. The message of hard work for the things you love is done well.

[Lyla Jutras]

This book has a amazing plot. Throughout the series, I have noticed silly mistakes like forgetting a word so be prepared for that.

[Jodi Houchins]

My 10 year old daughter who is a gymnast loved this book! It has been a struggle to find a book that she is interested in and she read this one so fast and she is on to the next one.

[Courtenay]

Fun story but it really could have used more editing.

[Zazie]

This was a fun read. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next book in the series so I hope I have the ability to get that one soon.

[Becky Small Roan]

I read this with my daughter who is a gymnast. Cute story. We both liked it.

[Regan]

I’ve read this book before a couple years ago and read it again the other day just for fun. Cute book for kids who love gymnastics!

[Cindy]

Trista just moved from San Jose California to Snowcap Utah. To help her acclimate to the new town, her mom enrolls her in a gymnastics club - Trista was in tumbling in San Jose. She quickly falls in love with gymnastics and meets new friends, one of whom is her neighbor.

The story line is flat, but for kids who love gymnastics, this is a perfect book.