Paris 2024 Olympic Games: a Montpellier woman publishes children's books on the Olympic Games “close to the values ​​of sport”

Isabel Lavarec devant le Discobole à Antigone. Midi Libre

l'essentiel Isabel Lavarec, écrivaine montpelliéraine, est à l’origine d’une série de fictions pour enfants sur le thème des Jeux olympiques de Paris. Son objectif : sensibiliser les jeunes aux valeurs du sport. Rencontre.

Let's set the scene: we are in ancient Greece, the cradle of the Olympic Games. The twins Olympia and Alexis, accompanied by their dog Saucisse and their Bengali cat, invite readers, aged 6 to 8, to discover their crazy adventures. Anchored in history, the series "The Olympic Games" in four volumes is intended to be as informative as it is entertaining.

Games and puzzles

For Isabel Lavarec, "writing about the Games was obvious". The retired professor followed an angle "close to the values ​​of sport", essential in her eyes : "If we don’teach children how to live together, when are we going to do it ?".

The writer explains her method: "games and puzzles keep readers attentive, while’a section &quot ;go further" allows them to expand their knowledge". And it seems to work : "Little ones like games and animals. And grandmothers love reading them with them."

A life of transmission

Transmission and education have always been at the center of the life of this former life and Earth Sciences teacher. She says: "Only by understanding how children work can we help them learn".

With a smile on her lips, Isabel Lavarec delivers an extraordinary life journey. Among her many adventures around the globe, she taught in Algeria. "For work, I lived in the Sahara, in Touggourt. I had to familiarize myself with the nomadic culture to successfully capture the children's attention."

After her retirement, Isabel Lavarec decided to teach differently, turning to books. Since then, she has published "fantasy and detective novels mainly".

"When you have children, it’is often too expensive"

By a happy coincidence, Isabel received copies of the first volume on the day the flame passed through Montpellier. "A few minutes after receiving the package, I’was on the Place de Thessalie, crowded with people" she says.< /p>

Enchanted by the unifying aspect of the event, "in a country that really needs it", the author regrets the "very commercial character" of the Games. &amp ;quot;At fifty euros a place, when you have children, it’is often too expensive". For her, these are "the universal values" which must transcend competition: &amp ;quot;friendship, teamwork and fair play, essential in the development of young people".

The series "The Olympic Games", written by Isabel Lavarec and illustrated by Serge Cicconi, is published by Ex-Aequo. Price: 10 euros per book. The first volume, "Obstacle Course… with nuts !" is available here. I subscribe to read more