Gymnastics Challenge

Harper is a parkour extraordinaire. Nothing brings her more joy than “packing in the fun” at the park with her friends Cici and Lily, where they “move over, under, and around obstacles” with grace and agility. However, when Harper is unexpectedly invited to join a local gymnastics team, she fears that her decision could rupture her friendship with Cici and Lily. Can Harper maintain her friendship without sacrificing her opportunity to compete in gymnastics? 

Gymnastics Challenge is a captivating graphic novel that showcases the importance of friendship in sports, especially when new opportunities threaten to tear apart existing relationships. The book is told through the eyes of Harper, a spunky, energetic girl who wants to use her parkour skills to succeed in gymnastics. Her determination to overcome the difficulties in the new sport, such as the uneven bars, is evident throughout the story, and her ability to recognize her own faults and train to get better is admirable and inspirational. Of course, the story also makes Harper’s character feel realistic, emphasizing how she makes mistakes and wobbles during her routines. She overcomes her fears of making mistakes and learns that “we all wobble sometimes . . . in parkour, in gymnastics, and in friendships.” 

The book presents a positive outlook, relaying the importance of telling the truth and supporting one another in friendships. Conflicts arise when Harper is dishonest with her friends, but she learns to apologize and admit her faults, repairing her struggling relationship with Cici and Lily. Conversely, Cici and Lily learn to support Harper in her new opportunities. For instance, during Harper’s big competition, they shout, “Go Harper! You got this!” These events teach readers that the strongest friendships require honesty and support. 

Gymnastics Challenge presents its tale in a captivating graphic novel format. Each page contains two to four panels in a simplified art style, where the characters, movements, and dialogue are easy to read and follow. The book also uses a combination of graphic novel aspects, such as page-covering panels and pictorial elements like facial creases or sweat drops, to enhance its illustrations, making the scenes look and feel believable. Although the number of speech bubbles per page might be slightly overwhelming for younger readers, each bubble typically only contains one to two sentences with simple vocabulary. 

Gymnastics Challenge is part of the Jake Maddox Graphic Novel series, which focuses on inspiring lessons in sports and competition. Alongside its colorful illustrations, the book also contains additional content, such as a glossary, “Learn More About Gymnastics,” and “Visual Discussion Questions,” which ask the reader to identify how the art style represents the feelings and emotions in each scene. Although older readers may find the plot slightly cheesy, Gymnastics Challenge wins a perfect score with its illustrations, characters, and action sequences. 

Sexual Content 

• None 

Violence 

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol 

• None 

Language 

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content 

• None