When Zonderkids gave me this book to review our youngest son (Double Espresso) was totally into the Olympic swimming. He was recording all of the swimming, rooting for the swimmers, and researching the swimmers on the internet. Needless to say, he was excited to read Speed to Glory.
About the book:
"He conquered the thing that nearly took his life At five years old, Cullen Jones nearly drowned. While some people might stay away from water after that, Jones conquered his fear when his mother enrolled him in a swimming class. Not only did he learn to swim, he quickly found that he was a good swimmer... and would become one of the world's best. Discover how faith, courage, and hard work led Jones to win an Olympic gold medal and set a new world record in his event. Find out what can happen when you overcome fear and strive to become all God calls you to be. Includes a personal note from Cullen Jones."
I was really excited about receiving this book as well. I knew Double Espresso would love it. When you find a book that an active 13 year old boy wants to read, it's a good day!
- What did you enjoy about this book? "I enjoyed it because the Olympic swimmer got a gold.
- What did you appreciate about him/her? "I appreciated that Cullen taught other kids how to swim. The book said that 'Nearly 70% of African American children and 58% of Hispanic children have a low or no swimming ability.' So Cullen joined a program that helped people learn to swim. The program was called Make a Splash."
- Consider the main character: what does he or she believe in? "Cullen Jones wants to give everyone a chance to learn to swim."
- Have you ever experienced anything similar to the action of this book? "Yes. When we were on vacation we went to a wave pool and the wave sucked me out too far and I went under. That is similar to Cullen because he almost drowned."
- Did you find this book a quick read? Why or why not? "Yes. It was an easy read because the chapters are fairly short and the book is only 12 short chapters."
- How did you feel about the main character? "I think he's cool! I think he is a good role model."
- Are any of the events in the book relevant to your own life? "Oh yeah! Cullen won a couple of gold medals and I have won a couple of basketball championships."
- What did you think of the style of the writer? "Yes. Even if you are not the best reader you can still read this story with expression."
- Did you find any flaws in the book? "I actually found a couple of typos."
- Compare the hardcover and paperback covers. Which one do you like better? Why? "I like the paper covers better because you can fold the book over while you are reading it."
- What sort of people would like this book? "I think swimmers and athletes would like it."
As a homeschool mom, It's a proud moment when your child finds a book that they love and can't wait to read. I love that! Another great thing is that Cullen Jones is a Christian and the author doesn't hide that fact. That was another motivator for Double Espresso. He loves to find Christian athletes who are not ashamed!
This book is a great "intro" type of book if your child doesn't necessarily love to read. It's short, inspiring, small in size (which doesn't intimidate), and has a good ending... gold medals!
I was given this book by Zondervan and was not compensated for my opinion. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own, and I was not required to post a positive review.
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