Aaah, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.  Has NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics had you glued to the television all week?  On Wednesday night, the broadcast from Vancouver was seen by 30.1 million people.  It was incredible watching Lindsey Vonn's perilous downhill race, and snowboarder Shaun White, the awesome Flying Tomato, was tres magnifique!  Then there was the nail biting upset in men's figure skating, with medal hungry Evan Lysacek masterfully attaining the gold.  Amazing feats, inspiring courage, and driven, determined athletes were everywhere.  Even Bob Costas has been fearless in the face of much critical jibber jabber about the authenticity of his hair.  When American Olympians (and announcers) are strong, they win!  When they win, we win!  And you have to admit there's something pretty terrific about winning while never getting up off the couch.  

In honor of the USA's remarkable athletes, you might enjoy reading:

• The Runner by Cynthia Voigt
• Life at These Speeds by Jeremy Jackson
• Swimming by Nicola Keegan
• Full Court Press by Mike Lupica
• Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr.

 

Rick Riordan has written a very popular Young Adult series called Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  The five books in the series are:

• The Lightning Thief
• The Sea of Monsters
• The Titan's Curse
• The Battle of the Labyrinth
• The Last Olympian 

image of the Olympic Logo, the Inukshuk, courtesy of janusz l