Tumbling

March 21, 2016
Carter (My Best Friend, Maybe) takes readers into the competitive heart of elite gymnastics as five athletes fight for a
coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Set over two days, the story follows the girls’ progress as they risk damaging their friendships, bodies, and reputations in order to be chosen. Third-person narration shifts attention among Grace, a half-Chinese world champ coached by her domineering father; tiny, “mousy” Monica, a long-shot struggling with self-confidence; Camille, the comeback kid who questions her commitment; African-American Wilhelmina, the veteran who wants a last chance at Olympic glory; and Leigh, who worries about the public finding out that she is gay. The girls have depth and heart, revealing insecurities and vulnerabilities, but also an unsurpassed determination to succeed. Through them, Carter skillfully showcases the extreme pressure gymnasts are under and the lengths they will go to win. Gymnastics-lovers of all ages will eagerly soak up this intimate look at the sport as these athletes attempt to stick their landings, gain favor with the intimidating judges, and dominate the leaderboard. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.

April 15, 2016
Twelve girls. Two days. Only five winners.Every four years, a dozen of the United States' best female gymnasts head to the USA Gymnastics Women's Olympic Trials to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. The novel's cast of hopefuls is made up of mostly white girls, with a couple of black girls, a Latina, and one girl who is half-Chinese. There's a closeted lesbian, and another is Jewish. There are mean girls and meek girls; backstabbers and best friends; veterans and "brand-new baby seniors." Some are event specialists, while others are all-arounders. The third-person narration alternates through the perspectives of five of the twelve girls, moving from girl to girl and back in labeled subsections within each chapter. Readers may have difficulty keeping characters straight; luckily there's a trials roster to keep things relatively clear. A glossary of terms is included for the uninitiated, but those heavily involved in the sport will truly understand and appreciate the nuances of scorekeeping, the politics of team assemblage, and the friends-rivals dynamics that keep life cartwheeling along behind the scenes.Faulty butt glue, waxing "down there," and dealing with a tyrannical team coordinator won't stop these girls from going for the gold. (Fiction. 12-15)

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April 1, 2016

Gr 6-10-Five gymnasts. Five Olympic dreams. Two days to make those dreams into reality. Grace is the coach's daughter and a perfectionist with no other choice but to be the best. With her mother out of the picture and her dad acting more like a coach than her father, she struggles to cope with the pressure and expectations that come along with being the best. Leigh is the powerhouse, Grace's best friend and biggest competition. Underneath her smile and easy laugh, she hides a huge secret. Wilhelmina is an "old-timer" at 20, out to prove that she is still among the elite after missing out on the Olympics four years ago. Camille is back for a second chance at the Olympics after her dream was cut short the first time. But are the Olympics really her dream, or are they her mother's? Monica usually blends into the background but finds herself thrust into the spotlight-and Grace's crosshairs-as she surges through the competition. Who will make it? Who will crack? Told in alternating voices, this work brings the cutthroat world of elite gymnastics to life. Rotations and breaks in competition mark the end of each chapter. A glossary at the end of the book explains frequently used technical gymnastics terms, making the jargon accessible to gymnastics novices. Carter has created five memorable characters whose voices resonate long after the story ends and whose lives outside of the gym (or lack thereof) make them relatable to readers. VERDICT Purchase for middle and high schools where realistic fiction is in demand.-Carli Worthman, Carmel Middle School, Carmel, IN

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
Grades 8-11 Over two extreme days, 12 elite gymnasts compete to make the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. Carter (My Life with the Liars, 2016) alternates between five girls who have made gymnastics their entire lives. Half Chinese Grace, striving for a perfection that's never enough for her father-coach, competes for the top spot against Leigh, her best friend and truest rival, whose parents accept her as a lesbian but not as a gymnast. Wilhelmina already feels out of place among the other gymnasts, because she is black and bigger-boned, and her careful training program may have wrecked her Olympic chances. Specialty vaulter Camille wants to quit but can't disappoint her mother, while nervous newbie Monica just wants to make it through without falling. Pushed to their limits, the girls question their goals and motivations in a world where accidents can happen to anyone and friendship might be outmatched by competition. Gymnastic books for teens are surprisingly few, and Carter has crafted an intense look into the pressures of this ambitious and all-consuming lifestyle.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)