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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

A book about the early Olympic Games

Just a few days ago I recieved a box of books that contained a book about the Olympics. Since the Olympics are going on right now, I got reading and have my review of the book below. The book is beautifully written, and I learned a great deal about the ancient Olympics and the early years of the modern Olympics. You can find more books about the Olympics and Olympic athletes in the Olympic Games feature.


Benson Bobrick
Nonfiction
For ages 12 and up
Random House, 2012, 978-0-375-86869-6
These days, the Olympic Games are watched by millions of people all over the world. The host countries spends enormous amounts of money building venues for the events, and preparing for opening ceremonies that they hope will thrill and delight spectators. The games are “global extravaganzas” that people remember for years to come.
   The ancient Olympics were nothing like the modern day games. The first recorded Olympic event took place in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. There was a two-hundred-yard footrace in a meadow, and the race was won by a cook who came from the town of Elis. Over time, other races were added, along with events such as the discus throw, the long jump, the javelin throw, and boxing.
   The games were held every four years on the second full moon after the summer solstice. As more events were added, and as more athletes participated who came from all over the Greek world, more buildings and facilities were added. The athletes now had proper tracks to run on, gymnasiums where they could make use of steam baths, and various other buildings that were used for training. Just like today, athletes were accompanied by coaches, trainers, and doctors. Just like today they were expected to “do nothing to disgrace the Games.” The one big thing these earlier Olympiads did not have was an Olympic Village. Their accommodations were rudimentary at best. To ensure that both the athletes and spectators could safely come to the games, an Olympic Truce was put into effect that lasted for four months, and it was upheld in all the countries and territories in the Hellenic world.
   When the Romans took over the Greek Empire, they also took over the Olympic Games. Their versions of the event lost many of the elements that made the Greek Games so special. In 394 AD pagan festivals were banned and to all intent and purposes the Games were no longer celebrated.
  A few Olympic Games type events became popular in England in the 16 and 1700’s, but it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that men interested in reviving the games who came from England and France began to work towards a common goal to create an international event. The first Olympic Congress gathered in France in 1894 to create the International Olympic Committee, and two years later the first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece. There were only forty-one athletes from fourteen countries present, but it was a beginning. In time more countries would participate, and in 2012 over fourteen thousand athletes in two hundred and five teams arrived in London for the Thirtieth Olympiad.
   Readers who enjoy history and who look forward to watching the Olympic Games will greatly enjoy this unique book. They will not only see how the Games changed and evolved over time, but they will also get to meet some of the great athletes who attended the Games. With period photos and illustrations throughout the book, this is a title that is easy to read and full of fascinating stories.

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