The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Unexpected Twist


Book Description

Christina has waited her whole life to make it big. And now she’s ready—to be the star of the Texas Twisters, on her way to becoming the first Junior Elite all-around champion at the American Invitational. The pressure is on, and there’s no turning back. But practice takes a turn for the worse when Christina lands her vault routine with a sharp pain in her ankle; it’s clear that she’s been pushing herself a little too hard./DIV A forced break from gymnastics is not what Christina had in mind with the biggest competition of her life coming up. Her whole world revolves around the gym, but now she’s not sure what to focus on. Hanging out with the other Twisters—best friend Noelle, spunky Britt and caring Jessie—isn't the same when she’s not totally part of the team. The only person who seems to understand is Mihai, Noelle's older brother. But boys are the last thing Christina should be thinking about if she wants to get back into peak condition, right? DIVOlympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson present The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts, a fliptastic series full of heart, humor, and spirit! Follow the four girls as they navigate the world of competitive gymnastics, try to balance their passion with normal lives, and learn to believe in the power of friendship.




Psych Major Syndrome


Book Description

Using the skills you've learned so far in Introduction to Psychology, please write a brief self-assessment describing how things are going in your freshman year. Presenting Concerns: The Patient, Leigh Nolan (that would be me), has just started her first year at Stiles College. She has decided to major in psychology (even though her parents would rather she study Tarot cards, not Rorschach blots). Patient has always been very good at helping her friends with their problems, but when it comes to solving her own . . . not so much. Patient has a tendency to overanalyze things, particularly when the opposite sex is involved. Like why doesn't Andrew, her boyfriend of over a year, ever invite her to spend the night? Or why can't she commit to taking the next step in their relationship? And why does his roommate Nathan dislike her so much? More importantly, why did Nathan have a starring role in a much-more-than-friendly dream? Aggravating factors include hyper-competitive fellow psych majors, a professor who's badly in need of her own psychoanalysis, and mentoring a middle-school-aged girl who thinks Patient is, in a word, naive. Diagnosis: Psych Major Syndrome




Off Balance


Book Description

In this searing and riveting New York Times bestseller, Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu reveals the dark underbelly of Olympic gymnastics, the true price of success…and the shocking secret about her past and her family that she only learned years later. At fourteen years old, Dominique Moceanu was the youngest member of the 1996 US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team, the first and only American women’s team to take gold at the Olympics. Her pixyish appearance and ferocious competitive drive quickly earned her the status of media darling. But behind the fame, the flawless floor routines, and the million-dollar smile, her life was a series of challenges and hardships. Off Balance vividly delineates each of the dominating characters who contributed to Moceanu’s rise to the top, from her stubborn father and long-suffering mother to her mercurial coach, Bela Karolyi. Here, Moceanu finally shares the haunting stories of competition, her years of hiding injuries and pain out of fear of retribution from her coaches, and how she hit rock bottom after a public battle with her parents. But medals, murder plots, drugs, and daring escapes aside (all of which figure into Moceanu’s incredible journey), the most unique aspect of her life is the family secret that Moceanu discovers, opening a new and unexpected chapter in her adult life. A mysterious letter from a stranger reveals that she has a second sister—born with a physical disability and given away at birth—who has nonetheless followed in Moceanu’s footsteps in an astonishing way. A multilayered memoir that transcends the world of sports, Off Balance will touch anyone who has ever dared to dream of a better life.




The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Winning Team


Book Description

Twelve-year-old Brittany Lee Morgan is the best. Or, at least she was at her gymnastics training gym in Ohio. But when her family moves to Texas for a world-class facility, Britt is suddenly a zero in the eyes of her new teammates. The other girls—graceful Christina, perfect Noelle, and quiet Jessie—aren’t exactly excited by the arrival of the pint-sized powerhouse. Especially since Britt has a way of saying the wrong thing at all the wrong times. But, Britt's not scared of a challenge: she’s an Elite Gymnast, and she didn’t get there without taking some major risks. She's determined to become friends with the other Texas Twisters, whether they want her to or not.




The End of the Perfect 10


Book Description

An exciting and insightful account of the controversial world of gymnastics, the recent changes of the scoring system, and why those changes will drive American gymnasts to the top of the sport in the twenty-first century.




The Winning Team


Book Description

Britt's just moved to Texas to train at a super competitive gym - can she live up to expectations?




Go-for-Gold Gymnasts Bind-up [#1: Winning Team + #2: Balancing Act]


Book Description

Read the first two books in the Go-for-Gold Gymnasts series together in this bind-up edition, along with an introduction from three-time World All-Around champion Simone Biles! In WINNING TEAM, twelve-year-old Brittany Lee Morgan is the best. Or, at least she was at her gymnastics training gym in Ohio. But when her family moves to Texas for a world-class facility, Britt is suddenly a zero in the eyes of her new teammates. The other girls-graceful Christina, perfect Noelle, and quiet Jessie-aren't exactly excited by the arrival of the pint-sized powerhouse. Especially since Britt has a way of saying the wrong things at all the wrong times. But, Britt's not scared of a challenge: she's an Elite Gymnast, and she didn't get there without taking some major risks. She's determined to become friends with the other Texas Twisters, whether they want her to or not. In BALANCING ACT, twelve-year-old Noelle Onesti has gymnastics in her blood. Not only does she have natural ability, talent, and drive, but back in Romania, her mother was also an Elite gymnast. So if there's one girl destined to come home with a gold medal at the Junior National Championships, it's Noelle. But Noelle's a worrier, and she knows it won't be easy for her family to put up the money to send her to the competition. She tries to focus on her training, but when a boy asks her to the school dance, her mind is a whirlwind of dresses, crushes, and family responsibilities. Noelle knows that if she wants to achieve her Olympic dreams, she can't let anything get in the way. Her teammates-graceful Christina, quiet Jessie, and lively Britt-can't wait for the trip to Junior Nationals in Philadelphia, and Noelle doesn't want to let them down. Praise for Winning Team "Winning Team takes you to the heart of competitive gymnastics, while also teaching meaningful life lessons that transcend sports. Girls everywhere will enjoy this book as much as I did." -Kerri Strug, Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast "Gymnasts will appreciate the insider language and details drawn from Moceanu's knowledge and experience." -Publishers Weekly "Finally, young female gymnasts have a book to call their own." -Kirkus Reviews "[T]he story moves at a good pace and the characters are well developed. . . . [A] good purchase for libraries where sports stories are popular." -VOYA




The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts: Reaching High


Book Description

Long-limbed, red-haired Jessie might be the quiet girl on the Texas Twisters, but she's a force to be reckoned with where it counts—on the vault and in her heart. With freshman year on the horizon, Jesse decides that it’s time to stop hiding in the shadow of her teammates and do the last thing anyone expects: join the cheerleading squad. Jessie proves that her gymnastic skills make her a perfect fit for the team, and becoming friends with the team captain makes Jessie feel like people care about her, and not just her talent. /DIV DIVBut with cheer practice suddenly taking up all of her spare time, Jessie barely gets the chance to see her fellow gymnasts. Can Jessie bridge the gap between her new teammates and old friends? Or will she have to pick between being a cheerleader and being a gymnast? Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson present The Go-for-Gold Gymnasts, a fliptastic series full of heart, humor, and spirit! Follow the four girls as they navigate the world of competitive gymnastics, try to balance their passion with normal lives, and learn to believe in the power of friendship.




Free Book


Book Description




Chalked Up


Book Description

The true story of the 1986 U.S. National Gymnastics champion whose lifelong dream was to compete in the Olympics, until anorexia, injuries, and coaching abuses nearly destroyed her Fanciful dreams of gold medals and Nadia Comaneci led Jennifer Sey to become a gymnast at the age of six. She was a natural at the sport, and her early success propelled her family to sacrifice everything to help her become, by age eleven, one of America’s elite,competing at prestigious events worldwide alongside such future gymnastics’ luminaries as Mary Lou Retton. But as she set her sights higher and higher—the senior national team, the World Championships, the 1988 Olympics—Sey began to change, putting her needs, her health, and her well-being aside in the name of winning. And the adults in her life refused to notice her downward spiral. In Chalked Up Sey reveals the tarnish behind her gold medals. A powerful portrait of intensity and drive, eating disorders and stage parents, abusive coaches and manipulative businessmen, denial and the seduction of success, it is the story of a young girl whose dreams would become eclipsed by the adults around her. As she recounts her experiences, Sey sheds light on the destructiveness of our winning-is-everything culture where underage and underweight girls are celebrated and on the need for balance in children’s lives.