Gold Medal Summer [Hardcover]

Donna Freitas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2012 | Age Range: 10 and up | Lexile Measure: 790L (What's this?)

Just in time for the Olympics: 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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Joey Jordan 13, is an elite gymnast-she spends eight hours a day at the gym, leaving little time for boys, friends outside of her teammates, and other typical teenage activities. Her older sister retired from gymnastics after winning the national title, and Joey's parents are so burned out that they don't even attend her competitions. But things are changing. Joey's best friend is thinking about giving up gymnastics. Joey is working behind the back of her ultra-strict coach with her sister and assistant coach on new routines that play more to her strengths. And she's become reacquainted with an old friend who's now incredibly "hot" and wants to be her boyfriend-but boyfriends are forbidden because they can destroy an athlete's focus. Joey has never won a gold medal at competitions, but she wonders if she can win the upcoming regional championships and then go further. Donna Freitas was a competitive gymnast, and her novel (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books, 2012) convincingly presents the stress, excitement, pain, and pure joy of the sport. Jaselyn Blanchard convincingly portrays the young protagonist as well as the other characters. Although many aspects of the story are predictable, the plot and characters will appeal to the many tweens who will be particularly interested in gymnastics after the success of this year's U.S. Olympic team.-Margo Tanenbaum, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library, CAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

Praise for Gold Medal Summer

"Gold Medal Summer more successfully reflects the competitive gymnast's spunk, thanks to Donna Freitas's flashier style and relatable protagonist, 13-year-old Joey Jordan." —The New York Times Book Review

"A sports story that handsprings away from romance and toward a commendable joy in accomplishment." —Kirkus

"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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (June 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780545327886
• ISBN-13: 978-0545327886
• ASIN: 0545327881
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Sports > Gymnastics

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.3 stars for solid performance-needed a bit of flair January 28, 2013

By M. Knapp

Format:Hardcover

Joey loves gymnastics, though the sport and her coach demand a lot of her. Her older sister quit at the top, and her parents have decided that it's too painful to watch the competitions, so although they support Joey's gym work financially, they do not attend events not support her much emotionally. Her best friend on the team is burned out and seriously thinking of quitting. Freitas, who was a competitive gymnast herself peppers the dialogue and descriptions with details of the life and routines of a gymnast. There are demanding coaches, heart-wrenching falls and catty teammates and competitors. A romance enters the picture, with a boy who seems a bit too good to be true. I was a tiny bit surprised that eating disorders were not mentioned. Along with showing the hard work, Freitas captures the joy of winning and the thrill of a routine well done. Best for young teens who love gymnastics, who will appreciate the realistic passages of bar, beam, vaulting and floor routines.

About me: I'm a middle school/high school librarian
How I got this book: purchased for the library

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars!!! December 28, 2012

By lauren minor

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved the book! I LOVE books like this!

I would recommend it to gymnasts who would know what the moves are, I relate because I am a junior Olympian.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Middle grades story perfect for the gymnast or fan in your life July 20, 2012

By Mrs. Heise

Format:Hardcover

I really enjoyed Donna Freitas' first book, THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD, and I expected a similar style of a fun, contemporary, romantic book with a teen girl coming into her own and finding her own strength in becoming confident in herself. GOLD MEDAL SUMMER met that expectation in a great middle grades story that is very timely with the summer Olympics coming up this summer. This book was a quick read because it is definitely written on a level for 5th-8th grades, but it touches on a lot of themes throughout. It's a sports story, but it's also a story about family and friendships and young romance.

I really enjoyed the realism of the whole story. There was no unnecessary drama, it all just felt true to what these young girls would have been going through. There's also a great guy character as the romantic interest who is just a sweetheart. The insiders view of competitive gymnastics was intriguing, and made all the more interesting by knowing that the author was a competitive gymnast herself when she was younger. I completely bought into the family dynamics in this story as well. Joey is struggling with her relationships with her older sister and both of her parents, but she is able to come to terms and deal with them in a mature way.

When I met the author at NCTE, she said that she wrote the book she would have wanted to read when she was 12. I can see how that's true and think many other girls will feel the same way. Overall this was an enjoyable book that I will definitely be handing off to my students in the fall. I imagine the girls will be reading and passing this one on to each other.

Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends.