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Going for the Gold, Silver and Bronze

By Mary Cohrs, Contributing writer | February 13, 2018

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Bellaire librarian Mary Cohrs suggested books relating to the Winter Olympic Games.

Book Buzz is a blog produced in collaboration with neighborhood librarians from Houston Public Library, Harris County Public Library and the Bellaire Library.

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it’s packed with enough events to keep you busier than a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Groundhog’s Day, Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Chinese New Year, President’s Day and, in Houston, the Rodeo begins with a parade and a cook-off. Add to this year is the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, which continues through Feb. 25.

I have only tried snow skiing twice and can honestly say the Olympic athletes need not worry. Only the EMS people need to be concerned. My ankles are too wobbly for ice skating and while I have been on the top of the ski jump in Lake Placid as a summer tourist, I have no inclination to try it. But a very favorite activity is watching the Olympic opening ceremonies and the athleticism in the games. PyeongChang, Korea, is hosting the XXIII Olympic Winter Games this year and athletes from around the world are being cheered on.

If you want to know more about some of the winter sports, there are two series to check out for elementary ages. Winter Olympic Sports by Laura Hamilton Waxman and Global Citizens: Olympic Sports by Ellen Labrecque. Readers will learn some of the history of the sport as well as some of the rules of the event.

For older readers, here are some literary accompaniments to some of the winter Olympic sports. The Speed Kings:The 1932 Winter Olympics and the Fastest Men in the World by Andy Bull - A story of risk, adventure and daring as four American bobsledders race for the gold in the most dangerous competition in Olympic history. The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey. They were the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered what has been called the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. An excellent movie, Miracle, depicts the building and success of this special hockey team.

There are more titles on the history of the Olympics and the host country of Korea so check them out between all of the events this month. After this month, you will have to wait until the next winter Olympics in 2022 in Beijing.