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Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters | 
 enlarge | Author: Joan Ryan
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $12.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $12.98 (100%)
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Rating:  141 reviews
Sales Rank: 423908
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 243
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0446672505
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.4408352
EAN: 9780446672504
ASIN: 0446672505
Publication Date: May 1, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!
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Product Description
An expose+a7 of women's gymnastics and figure skating describes the severely unhealthy situations that young athletes are exposed to, from starvation diets and debilitating injuries to the brutal tactics of their families and coaches.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 136 more reviews...
 A little too sensationalist for my tastes... November 27, 2008
Having been involved in both gymnastics and figure skating, I read this book, knowing about the reviews yet trying to keep an open mind about the content. Granted, I trained in gymnastics not in the US or eastern Europe, so this book did not resonante with me in terms of the way we were trained. Even though the stories of US gymnasts Julissa Gomez and Christy Heinrich in particular are disturbing, the book is written in a very sensationalist manner and focuses on the negative aspects of competing at the elite level in gymnastics (much less of the book is really about figure skating at this level). And honestly, I had to laugh when Michelle Kwan was identified as the new "young face" of figure skating, when in her career she ended up repeat champion-ing multiple times and ultimately becoming the most decorated singles female skater in US history--well beyond her early teen years, and not simply another "one hit wonder"!!!
If you're unfamiliar with either sport and some of the more tragic aspects of it, then you should read this book. But bear in mind that it is written to sell copies, and as such, really emphasizes the horror shows and not the multitude of positive strengths and experiences that results from having the extraordinary opportunity to compete at the highest level. There are some of us who DO think back fondly of those training days and accomplishments, who emerged from such experiences as stronger and more capable adults.
 awesome and scary July 21, 2008
as a mother to a 5 year old gymnast i was shocked to find out 5 year old elite gymnasts spending 5 hours a day in the gym! this is an eye opener. i would not want my daughter to be an olympian after reading this book! i read the whole thing in one day. it was a real page turner!!
Change the Name From "Women's" Gymnastics March 27, 2008
This was a fascinating, and I felt, a well-researched book. I've always felt that the term "women's gymnastics" was a drastic misnoner: it should be changed to "girls' gymnastics". These are not adult women competing - they are children. It points out the inherent sexism still at work. Men's gymnastics events feature adult males competing; women's gymnastics events feature young girls.
This is a book that should be read by every girl considering a career in gymnastics and by every parent of such girls.
 Little girls in pretty boxes February 23, 2008
A fascinating account of the stressful lives the lithe young and talented attletes endure. Very well written and illuminating.
A real eye opener February 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I got this book years ago. As the mother of a competitive ice skater I WAS INTERESTED in reading about skaters and gymnasts at the elete level. I was so shocked to read how our national gymastics team was trained. The story of Julissa Gomez was heart-breaking to read. No child deserves that. If any parent is thinking of enrolling their daughter in gymnastics I would highly recomend this book.
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