This February marks the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy from February 6-22, 2026. The Paralymics will be held in Italy from March 6-15, 2026. I always get so excited for the Winter games because their are so many exciting sports, rising athletes, and veterans to watch out for. The camaraderie, exhilaration, and euphoria is what makes it so special to watch. Yes, there is disappointment and heartbreak too. Some events will be filled with close calls, near misses, and some of our favorite athletes may miss the podium by mere seconds in their event. This is all what makes it so unique to watch because it is unlike any other sporting event.
Westlake Porter Public Library has several displays this month with titles relating to the Winter Olympics. Below are some titles and recommendations that are available at our library. The descriptions regarding each title is taken from our catalog. All four books and the one movie take the gold for me as favorites.
Kid Olympians: Winter: True Tales of Childhood From Champions and Game Changers by Robin Stevenson
Triumphant, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of international athletes who have captured the world’s attention at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. This list of athletes includes Johnny Weir, Chloe Kim, Alex and Maia Shibutani, Surya Bonaly, Apolo Ohno, Michelle Kwan, and 10 other inspiring Olympians
One Jump At A Time: My Story by Nathan Chen
In this exhilarating memoir, three-time World Champion and Olympic gold-medalist Nathan Chen tells the story of his remarkable journey to success, reflecting on his life as a Chinese American figure skater and the joys and challenges he has experienced–including the tremendous sacrifices he and his family made, and the physical and emotional pain he endured. Pulling back the curtain on the figure skating world and the Olympics, Chen reveals what it was really like at the Beijing Games and competing on the US team in the same city his parents had left–and his grandmother still lived. This memoir is a testament to the love of a family and the power of persistence, grit, and passion.
This movie is based on the true story of the most famous team in the history of American sports: the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. You will be able to go behind the scenes and follow the team’s selection process which led them to the ultimate victory over Finland for the gold.
Rise: My Story by Lindsey Vonn
The first ever memoir from the most decorated female skier of all time, revealing never-before-told stories of her life in the fast lane, her struggle with depression, and the bold decisions that helped her break down barriers on and off the slopes. Through it all, she dissects the moments that sidelined her and how, each time, she clawed her way back using an iconoclastic approach rooted in hard work. Vonn hopes to make her fifth Olympics appearance in Italy.
99: Stories of the Game by Wayne Gretzky
For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is a book that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before. First he rewrote the record book. Now Gretzky rewrites the history of hockey. He looks back on the last ninety-nine years and tells– from his point of view– about the NHL’s most memorable moments.
