Courtesy of Jon Curnow

Like most of the world, the Minds have had a blast cheering on our favorite athletes at the Olympic Games in London. From special guest posts to creating our very own Oom-lympic competition, we’ve had no shortage of spirit. With the closing ceremonies set for tomorrow night, I want to continue celebrating long after the final medals have been handed out and the torch is snuffed. To keep the games going well into the fall, I’ve put together an Olympic reading list! Check out the titles below to find books featuring your favorite sport.

Archery

The Associated Press has credited The Hunger Games with making Archery cool again. And this Junior Bowman (according to summer camp, anyway) agrees. If you’re looking to hit a bullseye with a great read, look no further than bestselling Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and see Katniss Everdeen rely on her wits and her bow and arrow to survive in the Olympic-style Arena. (Ages 12 and up).

Basketball

Olympic Basketball has been fun to watch since the 1992 dream team won the gold. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing some of the NBA’s best players come together to form one super team? If  you’ve gotten into the game watching basketball this Olympics, be sure to grab a copy of STAT #1: Home Court, the first book in the new middle-grade series from six time NBA All-Star and New York Knicks team Captain Amar’e Stoudemire (ages 8-12). Or pick up Jeremy Lin: Rising Star (ages 8-12) and learn about the force behind Linsanity. In The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Shang, eleven year-old Lucy is excited for sixth grade to be the best year of her life. She gets her own room and she can’t wait to play on the basketball team. Find out what happens when things don’t quite go her way. (Ages 9-14). Slam Dunk by Sharon Robinson continues the adventures of Elijah ‘Jumper’ Breeze. In this sequel to Safe at Home, Elijah is looking forward to hitting the books and hitting the court for some basketball then his best friend convinces him to run for student council and life gets a lot more interesting. (Ages 9-12).

Fencing

If lances, foils, and epees are your thing, look no further than The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen for your fencing fix. In a faraway land, war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Conner’s rules of play become quite clear after he murders one of the boys who will not compete. Suddenly winning matters very much. (Ages 10-14).

Gymnastics

Has America’s gold medalist captured your heart? Did you shed a few tears when Jordyn Weiber was cut from the all-around or when Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman won gold medals in their respective events? Me too.  You’ll love Gold Medal Summer by Donna Frietas (ages 10-14). It’s the story of Joey Jordan, a young girl pursuing her gymnastic dreams while navigating the trials and tribulations of friendship and crushes.

Swimming

Who wasn’t glued to the TV while Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps went head-to-head for gold and Missy Franklin swam her way to the podium? The Mermaid Queen by Shana Corey and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, follows Annette Kellerman, a woman who wasn’t afraid to swim against the tide to become a professional swimmer, film star, fashion revolutionary and writer. (Ages 4 and up).

Volleyball

One of the most exciting events this Olympics was Beach Volleyball. Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh Jennings defended their title… against the other US team! The gold medal match was USA vs. USA! While most of us may have discovered a new passion for volleyball, Millicent Min the protagonist of Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee, can’t stand it. Read the book to find out what happens when eleven year-old Millicent’s parents ruin her summer of taking classes and reading by enrolling her in the local volleyball camp. (Ages 9-12).

Which Olympic Sport would you like to read about? Let us know in the comments!