G.O.A.T. - Simone Biles

Who is the greatest gymnast of all time? This stunning book, filled with colour photographs and fascinating facts, makes the case that it's Simone Biles! G.O.A.T. stands for Greatest Of All Time - and it takes lifelong dedication, non-stop work and unbelievable talent to even be considered for the honour. In the world of gymnastics, that athlete is Simone Biles, who in 2018 became the first American to win a medal at every event in the World Championships, garnering four golds, a silver and a bronze. And that's in addition to her Olympic golds for best individual all-around, vault and floor, along with the US team gold. Find out all about the powerhouse gymnast in this fun book packed with stats, sidebars and details about her journey. Sports-crazed kids will love it.

 “The story opens with six-year-old Simone Biles watching gymnasts practice and eager to try every move she sees. Though her home life has been somewhat unstable, she now lives with her grandparents, who have adopted her. The narrative highlights Biles’ personal strengths, her challenges (including ADHD), and her growth as an athlete striving to do her best in a series of national and world championships, including the 2016 Olympics. In addition, the book offers information about the sports’ apparatuses and events, the basics of scoring, and the rigorous training necessary for elite gymnasts. The series title, G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), is an acronym most often applied to athletes. In the book’s introduction, Blackaby asks readers to decide which gymnast deserves the title. For the next 100 pages, she makes a strong case for Simone Biles. The book’s many clear color photos work well with the text. One helpful double-page spread includes 18 overlapping images of Biles performing a vault. An appealing paperback, particularly with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the horizon.”— Booklist,  “The story opens with six-year-old Simone Biles watching gymnasts practice and eager to try every move she sees. Though her home life has been somewhat unstable, she now lives with her grandparents, who have adopted her. The narrative highlights Biles’ personal strengths, her challenges (including ADHD), and her growth as an athlete striving to do her best in a series of national and world championships, including the 2016 Olympics. In addition, the book offers information about the sports’ apparatuses and events, the basics of scoring, and the rigorous training necessary for elite gymnasts. The series title, G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time), is an acronym most often applied to athletes. In the book’s introduction, Blackaby asks readers to decide which gymnast deserves the title. For the next 100 pages, she makes a strong case for Simone Biles. The book’s many clear color photos work well with the text. One helpful double-page spread includes 18 overlapping images of Biles performing a vault. An appealing paperback, particularly with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the horizon.”— Booklist

Susan Blackaby is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Sterling's Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox (praised in a starred review by School Library Journal as "particularly endearing . . . delightful"), and its sequel Brownie Groundhog and the Wintry Surprise, as well as a poetry collection, Nest, Nook, and Cranny (Charlesbridge), which won the 2011 Lion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry. She lives in Portland, OR.