Hour of the Olympics: Going for the Gold!

For the past twelve days, we've been following the London 2012 Olympics, watching athletes from around the world in action and cheering medal-winning performances.  
Let's learn more about the history of the games: we can sprint, or race, or maybe even triple jump to the Library of the Chathams and check out one of last year’s popular Reading Road Trip titles, Hour of the Olympics by Magic Tree House author Mary Pope Osborne.

Jack and Annie are off on another adventure... their magic tree house sends them far and away to ancient Greece!  As they race against time to retrieve a lost story, they witness the very first Olympic games and learn history and culture of the ancient world.   
The tree house time travelers share more information about long-ago Greece and the athletic events of the Olympic games in Ancient Greece and the Olympics: A Nonfiction Companion to Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce.

Hour of the Olympics by Eesha N.

Take a look at this selection of gold medal titles, all available at the Library of the Chathams:

Track and Field by Clive Gifford.

This is an introduction to track and field in the Olympics, featuring photographs, descriptions of events, and information on rules and technique.

G is for Gold Medal: An Olympics Alphabet by Brad Herzog.

Here is an alphabet book of the Olympics, with facts and history of athletes and events from the first games held in ancient Greece to the pageantry of the current day.

Michael Phelps by Mike Kennedy.

Let's read about the life and career of Michael Phelps, learning about his childhood, family, struggle with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, career as a swimmer, Olympic performances, and other related topics. 

Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics by Sue Macy.

Browse a photographic overview of the Olympic Games, from their origins in ancient Greece, to the rebirth of the games in nineteenth-century France, to the twenty-first century.

Olympics! by B.G. Hennessy.

Check out this simple overview of the history, preparations, training, and events that are part of the Olympic Games.






The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius: that's Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger.  Good goals for past, present, and future Olympians... and for summer readers!

Glory Be: Glorious Historical Fiction!

Let your reading imagination take you to a different time and place....  In 1964 Mississippi, Gloriana faces her twelfth birthday and experiences changing relationships with her older sister and with her best friend, Frankie.  At the same time, tempers flare in her hometown as debate heats up over a segregated public swimming pool.   

Drawing on real-life experiences, first-time author-- and former librarian at the Library of the Chathams-- Augusta Scattergood shares a memorable story about family, friendship, and important life choices. 

Ms. Scattergood will read from Glory Be and talk about The Writer’s Journey at the Library of the Chathams on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.  The program is designed for grades two-and-up... come prepared to listen, to be entertained, to be inspired.

Beat the Heat with some spine-chilling mysteries...



Best Books from LAF Beach Bums

Here are a few favorites from our own book beachers at LAF.  Thanks to all our former 5th graders for creating these commercials!

Dead End in Norvelt - 2012 Newberry Winner

Did you notice the book the Lafayette Cougar was reading? Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is a wildy funny, fictionalized "memoir" of the summer of 1962 when (12 year-old) Jack (the author) is grounded for accidentally shooting his father's WWII rifle. Part of Jack's punishment is to help an elderly neighbor write obituaries for the dieing residents of Novelt, PA. Jack has no idea that his writing and detective skills will be put to the test.  This is one of Mrs. Cifrodella's top picks, this summer. (grades 4-6) Check out this Youtube video to learn more...

Book Beach USA - A Parody

The Beach Boys "Surfin' USA" came ashore in 1963, but little did they know their first US hit would inspire book readers across the globe. While surfing is great exercise and fun to try on the 127 miles of NJ ocean coastline, nothing relaxes the mind and soul like a good book.  Check out the latest video by our LAF Book Beachers entitled, "Book Beach USA", a parody written by the LAF bookworm Barb Massam.  Stay tuned for our video book commericals starting in just a few days!

Welcome to the Book Beach!