Ready Readers

Olympic Adventures

By Sheila Oliveri

Just in time for the Winter Olympics, which take place through Feb. 20, Ready Readers recommends “Lucy Tries Luge,” a simple, fun introduction to a winter sport experienced by few children in the Midwest.

Canadian writer Lisa Bowes and illustrator James Hearne offer readers a young heroine who, despite being wary of trying a new and potentially scary sport, bravely embarks on a thrilling ride down the “wild tunnel slide” track. Bowes’ rhyming text should invite even the youngest listeners to engage in Lucy’s story, and Hearne pictures a child with whom most readers, young and old, can relate: freckled, with hair in her eyes and a determined grin on her face.

The story begins as Lucy and her floppyeared dog gaze with excitement at her shiny new red luge. Her parents provide both encouragement and important equipment, including “a helmet for safety and a race shirt for speed,” allowing Lucy to summon the courage to take on this sledding challenge.

With her ponytail tucked into her helmet and her eyes guarded by goggles, Lucy pushes off from the start house, while watched from a distance by her dog. The story continues as Lucy slides down straightaways and barrels around bends, finishing her run and proudly celebrating her accomplishment with her family.

Bowes provides interesting and accurate vocabulary and age-appropriate descriptions of the equipment used, the techniques employed and the rush of excitement felt by the title character. Parents may be especially grateful for the “Fast Facts” list at the end of the book, which may provide answers to offer children unfamiliar with the sport.

To connect a local child’s experiences with Lucy’s, compare your family’s own sled or toboggan with the luge shown in the book. Similarities and differences alike should be easily found, prompting children to recall the delight of their first slide down a neighborhood slope. ln Visit readyreaders.org to learn more about the Storytime Program and join in bringing a lifetime of literacy, learning and love to our community’s most vulnerable children.

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