Summer Olympics: A Research Guide

The materials listed below will entertain and inform you about the Summer Olympics. With a history that can be traced back to ancient Greece, the topic is both interesting and exciting. Olympian athletes dream of winning medals while representing their country and viewers cheer them on in excitement. Summer sports include track and field events, swimming, diving, fencing, and more. Additional information can be found on Olympians by searching their name in the library catalog or your favorite search engine. You can also search for magazine and newspaper articles. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Great Summer Olympic Moments by Nathan Aaseng. Minneapolis: Lerner, 1990. ISBN: 0822515369.
Discusses memorable athletic performances at the summer Olympics.

Hand Games by Mario Mariotti. Brooklyn, NY : Kane/Miller, 1992. ISBN: 091629143X.
Photographs of hands painted, decorated, and formed to resemble the players in various sports of the Summer Olympics.

The Olympic Summer Games by Caroline Arnold. New York: F. Watts, 1991. ISBN: 0531200523.
Discusses the history and organization of the Olympics, describing the individual sporting events of the summer Olympics.

The Summer Olympics by Bob Knotts. New York: Children's Press, 2000. ISBN: 0516210645.
Describes the history, ideals, events, and heroes of the Olympic Games, with an emphasis on the Summer Olympics.

Coubertin's Olympics: How the Games Began by Davida Kristy. Minneapolis: Lerner, 1995. ISBN: 0822533278.
Traces the history of modern day Olympics back to Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937).

History of Olympic Mascots
www.collectors.olympic.org/e/fimo/fimo_mascots_e.html
Everything you every wanted to know about Olympic mascots, from “Schuss,” the first unofficial Olympic Mascot in Grenoble in 1968 and “Waldi the Dachshund,” the first official mascot in Munich in 1972, to the present day.

The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 by Susan D. Bachrach. Boston: Little, Brown, 2000. ISBN: 0316070866.
Recounts the story of the Olympics held in Berlin in 1936.

The Olympic Festival in Antiquity
http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/olympics/classical/intro.html
Learn about the people, places, rules, and games of the Ancient Olympics.

Olympic Museum
www.museum.olympic.org
Learn about Coubertin and Olympic History, explore a library of Olympic images and sounds, and museum exhibits.

Perseus Project: The Olympic Games
www.perseus.tufts.edu/Olympics/
Compare ancient and modern Olympic sports, tour the site of Olympia as it looks today, and learn about the ancient Olympics.

The Story of the Olympics by Dave Anderson. New York: W. Morrow, 1996. ISBN: 0688129544.
History of the Olympics back to 776 B.C. Includes stories of particular events such as track and field, gymnastics, and speed skating.

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Athens, Greece 2004
www.athens.olympic.org/Page/default.asp?la=2
Official site of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics.

Beijing, China 2008
www.beijing-2008.org/new_olympic/eolympic/eindex.shtm
Official site of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

International Olympic Committee
www.olympic.org/
Official site of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

United States Olympic Team
www.usolympicteam.com
Biographies of current and past athletes of the Olympics.