Young Reading Series 2

The story of the Olympics

• The history of the Olympic Games told for children growing in reading confidence and ability.
• Describes the origin of the games and the traditions of Ancient Greece, and the pomp, ceremony and heroes of the modern games.
• Colourfully illustrated in cartoon style by Paddy Mounter.
• With internet links to recommended websites where children can find out more.
• Part of the Usborne Reading Programme developed with reading experts at the University of Roehampton.

Press & blog reviews

The Usborne Young Reading Program has a lovely selection of classic tales adapted for younger readers. Graded in seven levels, these have just enough stretch in them and yet are not too overwhelming.

The Irish Sunday Independent

Usborne's award winning range of children's books now includes a vibrant Reading Programme, featuring over 200 brilliant titles that supplement National Curriculum levels 1C to 4A. Bright full-cover illustrations combine with lively text to make these colourful hardback fact and fiction books irresistible for children learning to read, and will help capture their imagination and build confidence as they move from one level to the next.

Child Education Plus - top teaching resources to support the curriculum

Crack reading and make confident and enthusiastic readers with this fantastic reading programme. Seven steps take beginners from simply written folk stories told in 150 words through to lovers of classic and original stories and histories, biographies and classics told in 5,000 words. Colour-coded for ease of use, and presented in a beautiful hardback, every story is well-written and attractively illustrated in full colour by leading artists.

Julia Eccleshare

A beautifully-illustrated trip through time looking at the history of the Olympic Games, right through to the event we know today.

Child Education Plus – Ten of the Best Olympic Resources

The Story of the Olympics by Minna Lacey, offers an entertaining run-down of the history of the Games. It gets out of the starting blocks with the notoriously nude Ancient Greeks - did you know they declared peace for a month either side of the event so people could travel to and from it safely? - and crosses the finishing line bang up to date with BMX cycling in Beijing. The inclusion of issues like the banning of women offers a springboard for discussion, and uplifting personal stories, such as black runner Jesse Owens' triumphant competition in Nazi-ruled Berlin, are potent reminders of the spirit of the Games.

Time Out Kids Book of the Week

This is one title from the Usborne Reading Programme, published to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. It offers a lively and engaging look at the story of the Olympic Games from its foundations in Ancient Greece to the global spectacles seen by today's audiences. From Series 2 of the Usborne Reading Programme, this book is intended to support independent readers who are growing in confidence. A clear font is used and the layout is uncluttered. The book is heavily illustrated with cartoon style illustrations, which add a lightly humorous touch. Topics covered include a chapter on great Olympic heroes and there is an appendix listing all the dates and venues of the summer and winter Olympics. The framework for the Usborne Reading Programme can be downloaded from the Usborne website

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