Please welcome Elisa Boxer with her list of athletes who overcame disease and physical issues to compete at the Olympics. Her picture book biography Splash is about the first American woman to win Olympic gold – she took up swimming to recover from polio.
Splash: Ethelda Bleibtrey Makes Waves of Change by Elisa Boxer, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
Ethelda Bleibtrey was a girl with guts who loved the water. As a child with polio in the early 1900s, swimming set her free. The water released her from her pain and helped her build strong muscles — and a powerful spirit. From then on, from the New York beaches to the choppy waters of the 1920 Olympics to the Central Park Reservoir, Ethelda made a splash wherever she went. For Ethelda, doing the right thing sometimes came with a price–change often does–but Ethelda helped make the world better than how she found it. Splash! [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]
We are giving away a signed and personalized copy of any one of Elisa Boxer’s books, your choice, with swag! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom.
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I’m really happy to be joining you to chat about these inspirational Olympians, Mia! So many sports stars overcame tremendous adversity on the way to achieving their dreams, and thankfully there are some amazing children’s books that highlight these inspirational athletes. When I began researching Ethelda Bleibtrey as a picture book subject, I was immediately drawn in by her barrier-breaking nature: Not only was she the first American woman ever to win Olympic gold in swimming, but she was also the first woman (actually, she was still a teenager!) to challenge the law that required all females to swim in socks. She was a real rebel. It wasn’t until I dug deeper that I realized she initially took up swimming to help her heal from polio. Here are my top five children’s book picks on the topic of Olympians who overcame adversity!
5 Children’s Books of Olympians Who Overcame Adversity
Yes, I Can! The Story of the Jamaican Bobsled Team by
This inspirational book, written by one of the actual members of the team, highlights the importance of listening to your heart and your dreams over the voices of people saying something can’t be done. While everyone laughed at this group of men who wanted to form a bobsled team in a land known for sun rather than snow, they were busy learning, training, and raising their own money to compete as the ultimate underdogs. It was written by Devon Harris and illustrated by Ricardo Cortes. I always love stories about people managing to pull off remarkable feats in the face of criticism and discouragement, and this book showcases a determined group of unlikely Olympians who never gave up… [advanced picture book, ages 8 and up]
Neither did the women in your book, Mia!
Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen
You highlight 17 fearless females, all of whom persevered in the face of overwhelming odds to not only find success themselves but also to inspire future athletes to overcome their own challenges. Kristi Yamaguchi, for example, was born with a club foot and used ice skating as a way to find her physical and mental strength. She eventually became the first Asian-American woman ever to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Your book is filled with stories of well-known and lesser-known women who broke through racial, gender, and economic barriers to find their power and pave the way for aspiring young athletes to find theirs. [middle grade biography anthology, ages 8 and up]
A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttman Created the Paralympic Games by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Allan Drummond
This fascinating chapter book biography tells the story of a German-Jewish doctor who fled to England to escape the Nazis. In rehabilitating paralyzed men who were returning from the war, he reflected back their inner and outer strength, showed them their power, and ignited the spark that led to the Paralympic Games.
From overcoming physical obstacles to overcoming racial obstacles: A Picture Book of Jesse Owens, by David Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla, tells the story of the first Black Olympic athlete ever to win four gold medals. His parents were sharecroppers, his grandparents were slaves, and he won those four gold medals in front of a man who took racism and white supremacy to unfathomable extremes: Adolph Hitler. Young readers will cheer on this hero who championed the fight for equality while showing the world that standing up for what’s right and believing in what others say is impossible really can change the world. [middle grade biography, ages 8 and up]
Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still by Karlin Gray, illustrated by Christine Davenier
This is such an inspirational story not only about overcoming adversity but about turning perceived weakness and negativity into strength and success. When she was just 14 years old, Nadia Comaneci set all kinds of Olympic records that included medals and perfect scores. But her life was far from perfect. She grew up in Romania as an active (some said too active) child, who channeled her excessive energy into gymnastics, used failure as a motivator, and inspired a new generation of girls to go for the gold! [picture book biography, ages 6 and up]
1 Signed and Personalized Book by Elisa Boxer with Swag GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away a signed and personalized copy of any one of Elisa Boxer’s books, your choice, with swag! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.
Elisa Boxer is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist whose work has been featured in publications including The New York Times, Fast Company, and Inc. magazine. She has reported for newspapers, magazines, and TV stations, and has a passion for telling stories about people finding the courage to create change. She is the author of The Voice That Won the Vote, A Seat at the Table, One Turtle’s Last Straw, and SPLASH! Ethelda Bleibtrey Makes Waves of Change, which was released July 15. Elisa lives in Maine, and she has several more picture books on the way. Visit her on her website and follow her on Twitter @eboxer, Instagram @eboxer, and Facebook, Elisa Boxer, journalist & author.
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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
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I would like to win One Turtle’s Last Straw.
I would love to win a Seat at the Table!
Thanks for highlighting all of these books. I would love to win Elisa’s latest book Splash!
any of them
I recently got One Turtle’s Last Straw and love it! I’d love to have Splash! I have students asking for biographies of strong women and this would be perfect for them.