The Olympics

November 1, 2011

Gr 4-7-These books emphasize summer sports, although on occasion winter events are inserted within the appropriate context. While Butterfield uses a narrative approach to topics, each volume has plenty of "Olympic Facts and Stats," sidebars, and colorful photographs to bring variety to the pages. There is some overlap of information among the titles. The author adds elements of humor by relaying certain facts, such as that women were not allowed to compete in track events until 1928 because running was considered unladylike and dangerous. These books could be used to talk about ethics or to zero in on topics for reports, yet there is no insight here that is not available elsewhere.

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