Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles

by Michelle Meadows, Ebony Glenn (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical picture book biography of Simone Biles, gymnastics champion and Olympic superstar.

Before she was a record-breaking gymnast competing on the world stage, Simone Biles spent time in foster care as a young child. Nimble and boundlessly energetic, she cherished every playground and each new backyard.

When she was six years old, Simone's family took shape in a different way. Her grandparents Ron and Nellie Biles adopted Simone and her sister Adria. Ron and Nellie became their parents. Simone was also introduced to gymnastics that same year, launching a lifelong passion fueled by remarkable talent, sacrifice, and the undying support of her family.

From her athletic early childhood to the height of her success as an Olympic champion, Flying High is the story of the world's greatest gymnast from author Michelle Meadows and illustrator Ebony Glenn.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250205667
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	12/29/2020
Series:	Who Did It First?
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	89,615
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michelle Meadows is the author of Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins; Hibernation Station; Piggies in Pajamas; and Super Bugs. She lives in Delaware and loves to write at the beach.

Ebony Glenn is the illustrator of many award-winning books for young readers, including Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins; Mommy's Khimar; and Not Quite Snow White. She lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

11/16/2020

The creative team behind Brave Ballerina relays the early struggles, diligent training, and eventual successes of record-breaking Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in this movement-filled picture book biography. Employing rhyming text (“Uplifted by love,/ pulled into the light,/ Simone rediscovers/ the magic of flight”), Meadows sketches Biles’s experiences with foster care and adoption, her entry into gymnastics, and continued resilience that carried her to the Olympic Games. Glenn’s art, rendered digitally, focuses on both motion and emotion: a spread of Biles’s signature move—“two breathtaking flips/ high up in the air”—shows each stage of the flip in flowing detail that celebrates both Biles’s expertise and the range of the human body. Back matter offers further biographical details, fun facts, and a select bibliography for further research. Ages 4–8. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

A 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List Selection

"The rhythm of the rhyming text reflects Biles’s energy and movement . . . The artwork captures the power and poise of gymnastics as well as the emotions of each scene. A good addition to the biography section and an excellent book to hand to readers always asking for gymnastics titles." —School Library Journal

"Readers will see how hard Biles worked, pushing past crushing defeat and leaving high school in order to homeschool, to rise into the Final Five of Team USA at the Olympics. . . The author should be applauded for not shying away from the more difficult parts of her backstory. Glenn’s illustrations are full of action, energy, and expressive emotion, and she captures her subject on every page." —Booklist

"The creative team behind Brave Ballerina relays the early struggles, diligent training, and eventual successes of record-breaking Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in this movement-filled picture book biography. . . [that] celebrates both Biles’s expertise and the range of the human body." —Publishers Weekly

"Meadows emphasizes resilience, demonstrating how Biles met each failure with persistence, getting back up and trying again. Glenn’s clean line-and-color illustrations are at their best in the many vignettes of Biles in motion. One double-page spread, in which 10 separate images trace Biles doing her trademark double layout with a half-twist landing, is electrifying." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

10/01/2020

PreS-Gr 3—This picture book biography of elite gymnast Simone Biles follows a pattern of setbacks and triumphs. Readers see the uncertainty of Biles's first childhood home, then watch as Biles and her three siblings are placed in a foster home, get separated, and are eventually adopted by their biological grandparents. A canceled field trip resulted in her first visit to a gymnastics facility; the disappointment of missing the cutoff for the national team fueled the efforts that led to her Olympic fame. The story does not dwell on the negatives but emphasizes how each obstacle was overcome through family support and hard work. Gymnastics terms, such as vault, bars, and beam, are introduced and the rhythm of the rhyming text reflects Biles's energy and movement. Glenn's illustrations portray the athlete at various ages; she tumbles through the house and later perfects her competitive moves. The artwork captures the power and poise of gymnastics as well as the emotions of each scene. One dynamic spread depicts "the Biles" signature floor move as she flips through the air. Back matter includes photos, sources, facts (height, birthday), and important milestones in the Olympics and International Gymnastics Federation. VERDICT A good addition to the biography section and an excellent book to hand to readers always asking for gymnastics titles.—Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elem. Sch., Maryville, TN

School Library Journal

2020-03-01
Simone Biles enchanted the nation at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and this book aims to introduce her to young readers.

Readers watch as little Simone and her three siblings are placed in a foster home, then separated, before she and one sister are adopted by their biological grandparents. Simone is always in motion from toddlerhood, “shooting off the vault / like a rocket blast” when she discovers gymnastics. There is a simple beauty in showing how Biles’ rise to Olympic gold medalist was not smooth. Children will be saddened by her failure at making the national team and heartened by her determination to keep pursuing her dream. Meadows emphasizes resilience, demonstrating how Biles met each failure with persistence, getting back up and trying again. Glenn’s clean line-and-color illustrations are reminiscent of animation, at their best in the many vignettes of Biles in motion. One double-page spread, in which 10 separate images trace Biles doing her trademark double layout with a half-twist landing, is electrifying. The text does not equal the illustrations’ effectiveness; scansion is sometimes spotty, and the jaunty rhythms are at odds with the challenges and drive depicted. Its lightness seems particularly inapt when juxtaposed against Biles’ powerful muscularity. Two pages of backmatter include a few more facts and selected sources.

This book was so close to soaring! (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews