Olympic Tales. Amazing Facts, Secrets, Scandals and Fun Anecdotes: Discover the Most Incredible Stories and Curious Facts About the Olympic Games, from Ancient Greece to the Present Day.

Naked athletes, an olive-wreath grand prize, and a marathon winner who rode in a car — the Olympics like you've never heard them. Forget the highlight reel. Olympic Tales is a treasure chest of the strangest, funniest, and most jaw-dropping facts, secrets, and scandals from nearly 3,000 years of the Games — from Ancient Greece all the way to today. Perfect for curious kids ages 8–12, and a fun countdown read before the Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028.

Did you know… Ancient Greek athletes competed completely naked — and the prize wasn't gold but a wreath of wild olive leaves. In pankration , almost anything was legal — the only two rules were no biting and no eye-gouging . A runner won the 1904 marathon by riding in a car for much of the route. Nadia Comăneci's perfect 10 broke the scoreboard — it could only display 1.00. Usain Bolt hit 44.72 km/h , nearly as fast as a charging cheetah. An Olympic gold medal is only about 6% gold … and one champion won her event at age 63 . Inside you'll also discover the ancient Olympic Truce, the first woman ever to win (and how she broke the rules to do it), doping scandals and stripped medals, the famous Black Power salute, record-smashing leaps, and the secret history of mascots, medals, and opening-ceremony disasters.

Why kids love it Short, snackable facts you can open to any page — built for trivia lovers, reluctant readers, long car rides, and did-you-know bragging rights. Illustrated throughout.

Get the fun facts before the Games — open Olympic Tales and start amazing your friends today.