The Official Countdown to the London 2012 Games

Start the countdown for the greatest sporting event on the planet - the Olympic and Paralympic games! This book will inspire children about the London 2012 Games - the sports, the athletes, the preparations - building excitement in the run up to the Games themselves. Packed with the low-down on Olympic sports and vital must-know facts - plus fun write-in activities, it's a winner.

My children are already talking about the London Olympics this summer and this book will keep them occupied for hours! The book starts right from the beginning, when London found out they had the winning bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The book includes information about both the Olympic and Paralympic games, an important factor, as many books will cover only the Olympics. The book also includes information about the history of the games and the last time London held the games back in 1948, along with many of the Games greatest moments.

There are pages dedicated to the Games' mascots - Wenlock and Mandeville, which were the main characters in a story written by Michael Morpurgo where Wenlock and Mandeville were made from the last two drops of steel used to build the Olympic Stadium.

There is an inside look in the Olympic buildings and the village where the athletes will be staying. The organisers of the Games wanted the Games to be sustainable and the book explains how the organisers are ensuring the environment will be protected and green energy will be used throughout the Games.

The book has a time line running throughout the pages of the book, starting from 776BC when the first ever Olympic Games were believed to be held and ends in 2016 when Rio de Janeiro will host the next Olympic Games. 

Many of the sports which are included within the Olympic  and Paralymic Games are included within the book, giving the spotlight to athletes who compete in the sport and their track record in previous games.

It gives children and adults alike a great insight into the Olympic Games but if you want a detailled history of or closer look into some of the new olympic facilities etc it is a great starting point and ideas for future research.

There are fun facts throughout the book along with many facts which will be very useful in pub quizzes for the summer! 

This book would be great for any sports fans this summer but would also make a great addition to any school library this summer.

Thank you to the publishers, Carlton, for sending me the book to review.