Gold Medal Summer

by Donna Freitas

Overview

A gymnastics novel to flip for!

Joey Jordan loves gymnastics: the thrill of performing a backflip on the beam, the cheers of the audience when she sticks a landing. But even with all her talent and style, she's never quite made it to that gold medal stand.Now big changes shake up Joey's life in and out of the gym. Joey wants to break out some daring new beam and floor routines--but she'll have to defy her strict coach to do it. Her best friend, Alex, is thinking about quitting gymnastics for good. And an old friend named Tanner just moved back to town, and he's suddenly gotten very, very cute. Can Joey handle all the challenges coming her way, and make her gold medal summer happen at last? Drawing on her real-life experience as a competitive gymnast, acclaimed novelist Donna Freitas delivers both a terrific gymnastics story and a classic novel about stretching some limits, bending the rules, and finding your balance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545483797
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2012
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	995,456
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Donna Freitas participated in competitive gymnastics for seven years, retiring due to injury at the age of fifteen. She is now the author of seven books, including Gold Medal Summer, Gold Medal Winter, This Gorgeous Game, and The Possibilities of Sainthood, which received five starred reviews. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Please visit her website at www.donnafreitas.com.

Editorial Reviews

Joey Jordan, 14, craves one thing: to win gold at the Regionals gymnastics meet this summer, and she’s willing to go against her parents’ wishes and give up a “normal” teenage life to do it. But Joey’s competitiveness falters when her best friend, Alex, decides to quit gymnastics, and a cute boy from her past shows up and wants to hang out. In her first middle-grade novel, YA author and PW contributor Freitas (The Survival Kit) offers young readers plenty to relate to: living in the shadow of a perfect older sibling, battling with parents over life’s choices, and handling insecurities that make it seem like failure is looming large. Her story also focuses intently on gymnastics: its demanding training, the rivalries between competitors, and the challenges of a sport that requires physicality, grace, and showmanship. It’s a predictable but enjoyable story of a girl overcoming obstacles to realize her dreams, and for readers who have dreamed of trying out the balance beam or uneven bars, Joey’s story will be captivating. Ages 9–12. Agent: Miriam Altshuler, Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Freitas offers young readers plenty to relate to: living in the shadow of a perfect older sibling, battling with parents over life's choices, and handling insecurities that make it seem like failure is looming large.... [An] enjoyable story of a girl overcoming obstacles to realize her dreams, and for readers who have dreamed of trying out the balance beam or uneven bars, Joey's story will be captivating." -- Publishers Weekly "Joey is likable and believable; even readers unfamiliar with gymnastics will identify with her friendship and first-relationship issues. Due to this year's London Olympics, this novel will probably have a wide audience. Freitas is a former competitive gymnast, and her descriptions of routines are taut and eye-opening. Although the hardships of the sport are not underplayed, this is a largely positive novel about hard work and self-confidence." -- School Library Journal "Gold Medal Summer... successfully reflects the competitive gymnast's spunk, thanks to Donna Freitas's flash[y] style and relatable protagonist." -- New York Times

From the Publisher

Gr 5–8—Elite gymnast Joey, 13, is willing to do anything to compete with the best. Although she's not the most powerful gymnast, her artistic expression and winning personality make her a standout, as long as her hang-ups, including taunts from rival Sarah, don't undo her concentration. Even a budding relationship with a former childhood friend must take a backseat to daily hours-long competition. Frustrated with Coach Angelo's refusal to allow her to tweak her routines to showcase her strengths, Joey secretly works with the assistant coach, Maureen, and older sister Julia, once a National Champion, on new routines for the New England regional competition. Although the ending may be a bit predictable, it is satisfying. Joey is likable and believable; even readers unfamiliar with gymnastics will identify with her friendship and first-relationship issues. Due to this year's London Olympics, this novel will probably have a wide audience. Freitas is a former competitive gymnast, and her descriptions of routines are taut and eye-opening. Although the hardships of the sport are not underplayed, this is a largely positive novel about hard work and self-confidence.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

School Library Journal

Fourteen-year-old Joey Jordan has dreamed of winning gold since she started gymnastics in the second grade. Her older sister won the gold at Nationals before surprising everyone and retiring from the sport. Joey’s dream is to surpass that record and go all the way to the Olympics. Narrator Jaselyn Blanchard sounds like an enthusiastic 14-year-old girl, right down to the raised inflection that turns most of her sentences into questions. But Blanchard can’t overcome the weakness of one-dimensional characters and a story that lets the glow of first love outshine the glimmer of Olympic gold. Girls interested in gymnastics will be disappointed at how quickly a sports story with a driven female athlete devolves into a run-of-the-mill romance. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2012 - AudioFile