The Night Olympic Team

Fighting to Keep Drugs Out of the Games

“I wrote this book to show young readers science in action and how difficult work was accomplished only because key people helped one another.”

Go to:
Praise from Reviewers
Look Inside the Book
For Teachers
Frequently Asked Questions
References Used to Write the Book
Press Kit

Book Description:

The Night Olympic Team takes readers behind the scenes at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City to discover how lab scientists, led by Dr. Don Catlin, caught athletes on performance-enhancing drugs, which are prohibited because using them is cheating. Teachers can use the book in the classroom to spark discussions of scientific and ethical issues in doping in sports. The clear language makes it an easy crash course in anti-doping basics for adults.

Nonfiction
Hardcover, 56 pages.
Full-color photographs, glossary, resources, index.
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (May 2008)
ISBN-10: 1-59078-566-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-566-9
E-book: Kindle Edition, 76 KB
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (May 2008)
ASIN: B001CRPH30

Audiobook (CD or cassette)
Publisher: Recorded Books

A Pennsylvania School Librarian’s Association Top 40 Young Adult Books Pick for 2008-2009

A California Readers’ selection for the 2009-2012 Middle School California Collection

Read the School Library Journal Interview

Praise from Reviewers:

“An outstanding resource for reports on drugs in sports or the Olympics.”
–Library Media Connection

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“A must-read on doping…Caroline Hatton’s ‘The Night Olympic Team’ is an essential in-depth look at drug cheating in sports.”
–Philip Hersh
Special to the Los Angeles Times

“Gripping.”
YES Mag, the Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds
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“[A] detective story…packed with convincing reasons to compete clean.”
–Robert Ito
Los Angeles Magazine

 

“Readers will certainly understand one of the more complicated subtexts of the upcoming Olympics much better after spending some time with this… readable offering.”
Kirkus Reviews

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“Hatton’s approach to the issues raised by the use of performance-enhancing drugs is fair-minded and kid-friendly.”
School Library Journal

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“Fascinating. A rich picture of [the] work to root out doping in sport.”
–Christa Case Bryant
fasterskier.com

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“…A scientific thriller.”
Scripps News

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“A unique perspective.”
–Sandy Mitchell
www.LightTheTorch.net

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“Great nonfiction for all ages. As interesting and enjoyable as a good novel. Clear explanation about why performance enhancing drugs are banned and their effects on the human body”
–In Linda’s Library, blog by Emerson School (for gifted K-8 education) Librarian, Ann Arbor, Michigan

“Fascinating story.”
–Terry Pierce
The News Review

“Timely and informative.”
Reviewers of Young Adult Literature

“A true-life adventure story.”
–Caroline Arnold
Author of 30 Outstanding Science Trade Books – Children’s Book Council and National Science Teachers’ Association (CBC/NSTA)

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“Well done.”
–Jim Ferstle
Freelance Writer

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Look Inside The Night Olympic Team:

Vero and Philippe by Caroline Hatton

Click here to view inside the book.

Buy the Book:

Click on a bookseller

Once Upon a Story Books Amazon
Skylight Books Barnes & Noble

Look Inside the E-Book and Buy it:

Click here to preview the Kindle book and buy it.

For Teachers:

At schools that use the Accelerated Reader program, students pick Accelerated Reader books and read them at their own pace, take a quiz, and teachers get immediate feedback on individual students’ reading progress.  For The Night Olympic Team, Quiz No. 121674 is available here.

Video: Introduction to Sports Doping Control (2 min 20 sec)
Informational video made by Agilent Technologies for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Caroline K. Hatton, Ph.D. (UCLA Olympic Lab consultant at the

オリジナルウェットティッシュ

Véro and Philippe

“I wrote Véro and Philippe because my first Cricket magazine story moved the Editor-in-Chief, Marianne Carus, to ask for a book.”

Book Description:

In this humorous chapter book, sibling rivalry turns to teamwork between Vietnamese kids growing up in Paris. Véro and Philippe made the Los Angeles Times Children’s Bestsellers list!

Reading Level: G4; works well as a read-aloud for younger children, because each chapter is like a short story.
Hardcover, 120 pages.
Publisher: Front Street/Cricket Books
ISBN 0-8126-2940-X

Praise from Reviewers:

“The characters and humor are charming, sometimes tart, sometimes whimsical. The scene in which Véro and Papa make mayonnaise is a laugh-out-loud stitch . . . Intriguing cultural mix and luscious little details of well-rendered setting . . . Attractively packaged piece . . .”
— Children’s Literature

“Humorous… One particularly droll incident involves Mr. Vo’s scientific approach to cooking . . . This entertaining read offers children a glimpse into the life of a Parisian schoolchild; a strict, but loving family; and the ups and downs of sibling relationships.”
— School Library Journalウエット ティッシュ 名 入れ

“Read aloud or independently, this compact novel offers a poetic language and fresh perspective that should engage readers, offering child readers a glimpse of the unfamiliar and insights into the familial.”
— The Bulletin Of The Center For Children’s Books

Look Inside Véro and Philippe:

Vero and Philippe by Caroline Hatton

Click here to view inside the book and to read the first chapter.

. . . and for one more excerpt, from the last chapter in the book, click on: www.adoptvietnam.org/parenting/vero.htm

Buy the Book:

Click here: http://shop.cricketmedia.com/vero-and-philippe.html

Activities:

  • In Véro and Philippe, Véro was born in France after her parents moved there from Vietnam. Where were your students born? Where did their parents, grandparents, or ancestors come from? Draw country flags from places that are meaningful to them. Large, index card-size flags can be pasted on a poster. Small, postage stamp-size flags can be taped to a toothpick “flagpole” and poked into a world map.
  • Grade 3 and up: in Véro and Philippe, Véro has a pet snail. What pets do your students have or dream of having? Have them write about their (dream) pet. If they need prompts, consider:
    What is your pet?
    What is your pet’s name?
    How long have you had it?
    Favorite food?
    Favorite pastime?
    My pet is afraid of…
    The funniest thing my pet does is…
    The worst thing my pet does is…
    Older students can make sure the animal springs to life from their writing, by “using all senses” and showing the animal’s behavior and responses.

About Illustrator Preston McDaniels:

Vero and Phillipe, illustrated by Preston McDanielsChildren’s illustrator Preston McDaniels illustrated the Lighthouse Family series books by Newbery Award winner Cynthia Rylant and other works by popular authors. He lives in Aurora, Nebraska.

Read an Interview with Author Caroline Hatton:

Caroline discusses the intersection of the Vietnamese and French culture within Véro and Philippe’s family life at: www.adoptvietnam.org/parenting/carolinehatton-interview.htm

South Korean Edition:

Korean edition of Vero and Phillipe Véro and Philippe was published in Korean in South Korea by Hwanni Books.

A Pet for Grandma

“My friend Ana gave me the idea for this book. After reading my chapter book Véro and Philippe, which is based on my childhood, she asked, ‘Did you really have a pet snail when you were growing up in France? I had a pet beetle, like lots of kids in the Philippines.'”

Book Description:

To cheer up his Filipino grandma, Ken gives her a pet. As a result, he discovers a part of her he never knew about!

Levels: Guided Reading Level H
Reading Recovery: 14-15
Seedling Level: Fluent
Paperback, 12 pages, 242 words
Publisher: Seedling Publications (Continental Press)
ISBN-10 0-84544-680-0
ISBN-13 978-0-84544-680-5

Sample Pages:

A Pet for Grandma

A Pet for Grandma

Buy the Book:

Click here:

Illustrator Suzanne Accetta:

Illustrator Suzanne AccettaSuzanne Accetta has been drawing and painting professionally for over twenty-five years. She has won numerous awards and her paintings are exhibited internationally in public, private and corporate collections. She has designed critically acclaimed theater sets, and she teaches drawing and painting for the theater at Otterbein College. See more of Suzanne’s art works at http://www.suzanneaccetta.com.

Philippines Links for Teachers:

www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/philippines_module_for_teachers_FS.htm.

where is my puppy?

When my friend Kelly was a kid, one day she brought her pony into the kitchen and got in big trouble for it. That was my inspiration for the end of the book: the puppy getting in trouble in the kitchen.”

Where is My Puppy/Donde esta mi perrito?

Book Description:

Can you help this boy find his puppy in each picture?

Levels: Guided Reading Level C
Intervention: 4
DRA: 3
Paperback, 8 pages, 33 words
Publisher: Bebop Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books
ISBN 1-58430-919-9 (English)
ISBN 1-58430-917-2 (Spanish)

Sample Pages:

Where Is My Puppy?

Caroline Hatton, author of Where Is My Puppy?

Buy the Book:

Click here.

For Teachers:

Teacher’s Guide: Click here.

Illustrator Hideko Takahashi:

Surprise Moon

“I wrote Surprise Moon to show children all about the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (Tet Trung Thu), its lanterns, parades, moon cakes, and family fun.”

Surprise Moon/Luna Sorpresa

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival:

Sept. 15, 2016
Oct. 3, 2017 (Pacific Standard Time Zone) or Oct. 4, 2017 (Eastern Time zone)
Sept. 23, 2018
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

Go to:
Sample Pages

Buy the book
For Teachers: Common Core Standards Alignment and more
Illustrator Felicia Hoshino

Book Description:

Nick shows his friends how to celebrate the Vietnamese Autumn Moon Festival, Tet Trung Thu. They’re in for a delicious surprise when they share moon cakes!

Level: Guided Reading Level I
Intervention: 16
DRA: 16
Paperback, 16 pages, 211 words + Note
Publisher: Bebop Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books

English:
ISBN-13 978-1-58430-526-2
Six Pack: 978-1-58430-525-5

Spanish:
ISBN 978-1-58430-524-8
Six Pack: 978-1-58430-523-1

Surprise Moon is included in nine of Bebop Books’ collections, such as the Teachers College Reading Assessment Kit for Grades K-2, Asian American English Collection for Grades PreK-2Nonfiction Collection for Grades PreK-2, and more.

Sample Pages:

Surprise Moon interior spread

“It’s party time!” said Nick.
“Is it your birthday?” asked Pam.
“No,” said Nick. “It’s the Autumn Moon Festival.”
“What’s that?” asked Bob.
“It’s a holiday in Vietnam, where my dad is from,” said Nick.

Surprise Moon by Caroline Hatton

“We can carry lanterns in a parade,” said Nick.
“I want the red car,” said Pam.
“I want the blue fish,” said Nick.
“I don’t want the pink butterfly,” said Bob.

Buy the Book:

Click here: http://www.leeandlow.com/books/277/pb/surprise_moon

For Teachers:

Common Core Standards Alignment:
See below or click here for PDF version.
GRADE 1 Standard Alignment/Text Features:

  • Literature; Key Ideas and Details; 1 (ex: In the story, what happened first? Second? Third? Last? How do you know? What was the book mostly about?)
  • Literature; Key Ideas and Details; 3 (ex: Where did the story take place? How do you know? Who were the characters in the story? What makes you think that? What was happening in the story? How did the story end? How do you know?),
  • Literature; Craft and Structure; 6
  • Literature; Integration of Knowledge and Ideas; 7(ex: Turn to pages 4-5. How does the illustrator help you understand the tricky words on page 4? What clues does the illustrator give you?)
  • Literature; Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity; 10
  • Foundational Skills; Print concepts; 1 a
  • Foundational Skills; Phonological Awareness; 2 a-d
  • Foundational Skills; Phonics and Word Recognition; 3 a-f (it’s, said, is, it, your, asked, no, the, what’s, that, a, where, my, dad, from, we, can, in, I, want, red, blue, don’t, you, make, with, big, off, they, went, down, came, out, of, their, houses, yes, this, not, best, was, very, than, all, mom, her, their, inside)
  • Foundational Skills; Fluency; 4 a-c
  • Language Standards; Vocabulary Acquisition and Use; 6

GRADE 2 Standard Alignment/Text Features:

  • Literature; Key Ideas and Details; 1 (ex: Where did the story take place? How do you know? Who were the characters in the story? What makes you think that? What was happening in the story? What special holiday was the story about? What did you learn about that holiday? How did the story end? How do you know?),
  • Literature; Key Ideas and Details; 2(ex: What happened first in the story? Next? Then? Last? What was the book mostly about? How do you know?)
  • Literature; Craft and Structure; 4
  • Literature; Craft and Structure; 5 (ex: How did the author choose to begin the story? What were the children doing? How did they feel about it? What happened in the middle of the story? How did the author choose to end the story? How did the author choose to end the book? Use details from the text to support your answer.)
  • Literature; Craft and Structure; 6 (ex: How do you think the children felt at the beginning of the story? In the middle? At the end? What about Nick’s parents? How are they feeling? How do you think the author feels about the Autumn Moon Festival? What makes you think that?)
  • Literature; Integration of Knowledge and Ideas; 7 (ex: Turn to pages 2-3. How does the illustrator help us figure out the following: who are the characters? How are they feeling? What are they doing? What are they going to do next?)
  • Literature; Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity; 10
  • Foundational Skills; Phonics and Word Recognition; 3 a-f
  • Foundational Skills; Fluency; 4 a-c
  • Language Standards; Vocabulary Acquisition and Use; 6

Teacher’s Guide:
Click here.

Activity:

Have a Moon Festival Parade for Tet Trung Thu!

Have the children wear Vietnamese conical hats, carry either a paper lantern or a noisemaker, and walk to Vietnamese music (links below).

Look for inexpensive Vietnamese conical hats, small paper lanterns, and (in the fall) moon cakes at Asian markets. Although lanterns are usually carried at the end of a stick, it might be safer to forget the sticks.ウエット ティッシュ 名 入れ

You can make a toy paper lantern from a colored paper rectangle (8.5 x 5.5) and a piece of string. Bring together the two short sides of the paper to form a cylinder. Tape in place. Tape the two ends of the piece of string to the opposite sides of the cylinder, at the top. Carry your “lantern” by the string.

Children can make a toy tambourine by decorating an aluminum foil dish with stickers, or they can make noise by clapping.

Vietnamese music for your parade:
Click here or here (then click on “Play”) for free music that plays again and again.

 

Illustrator Felicia Hoshino:

Illustrator Felisia HoshinoFelicia Hoshino was born in San Francisco, California. A graduate of the California College of the Arts, she is a full-time illustrator and graphic designer. As a child, she enjoyed celebrating customs of her own Japanese heritage, includin

Against Drugs in Sports

Against Drugs in Sports

In my day job as a scientist, I consult for organizations that fight doping in sports and test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. These are prohibited in sports to protect fair play and the athletes’ health. I worked with Dr. Don Catlin at the UCLA Olympic Lab beginning in 1984, including as the lab Associate Director for over a decade. I write about drugs in sports for readers of all ages.

Why:

  • because in 1984, when the Olympics were coming to Los Angeles, I heard myself say, “I wish I could be the one inventing lab drug tests!”
  • because as a pharmacist, I know about drugs; as a Ph.D. Analytical-Organic Chemist, I know how to identify drugs; and as a bilingual person (French and English) I know the two official languages of the International Olympic Committee, World Anti-Doping Agency, and Court of Arbitration for Sport.
  • and because I want to pass accurate information about drugs in sports to those who need to understand it to make decisions, including athletes, sports officials, lawyers, parents and children.

How I got a job at the UCLA Olympic Lab:

In 1984, while finishing my doctoral thesis work at the UCLA Chemistry Department, I read about the UCLA (School of Medicine) Olympic Lab in the campus papers. The lab used the same technology to identify drugs as the one I used for my research: mass spectrometry. I proposed to lab director Dr. Don Catlin to be his volunteer French interpreter for media interviews. He said, “I don’t need an interpreter, but I could use a mass spectrometrist. Would you like a job?” And I said, “Now there’s an idea!” We worked well together for many years.

True Sport

A movement powered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that seeks to ensure a positive youth sport experience by imparting the lessons of clean competition, sportsmanship, and peak performance. For info tailored for educators, coaches, parents, or athletes, click here.

There are not many jobs available in anti-doping labs worldwide, but qualified persons might also find work in equine or workplace urine testing labs, crime labs, or environmental labs. Technicians typically have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biochemistry and senior scientists (certifying scientists who certify test results, especially when a prohibited drug is found) typically have a master’s or Ph.D. Hands-on experience with drug extraction from biological samples or the main technologies, namely gas chromatography-mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, make job applicants much stronger. Those who do best in this line of work love detail, are good at complex repetitive tasks, and maintain a sharp sense of observation.

 

School Visits

School Visits

Presentations:

  • Include lots of visuals, activities, and ample time for Q & A
  • Grade level: K-12
  • Session length: 30 min (K) – 50 min (G12)
  • Audience size: any

For information regarding fees, scheduling, and any other questions, please contact Caroline Hatton at ch [at] carolinehatton [dot]com.

Learn about the Young Writers Conference, an extraordinary event that your school can stage, with Caroline as one of many writing workshop leaders.

Read an article about Caroline’s school visits.

ParadeForWebsite.<align=”right”>“Fabulous!”

Shirley Ritter
Coordinator, Author’s Week
Pennekamp Elementary
Manhattan Beach, CA

“Mesmerizing.”

Dr. Robin Poe
Principal
R.J. Frank Intermediate School
Oxnard, CA

“A huge hit with our 7th-graders and adults.”

Carol Holzgrafe
Director
AAUW California’s Tech Trek Math/Science Camp for Girls
Stanford University

“Thought-provoking: relevant to students, staff, and parents.”

Lydia Smith Davis
Teacher/Librarian
Huntington Beach High School, CA

>
Caroline Hatton reads to students in Long Beach.

“Ms. Hatton has a gift, not only for words and science, but for speaking and listening to children on a personal, one-on-one basis. Caroline truly cares about kids and they sense it. That kind of genuine relationship, as you know, causes children to dig deeper and try harder. From her commitment to children, to getting her own words “just right,” to her punctuality and thoughtfulness, she is THE REAL DEAL.”

Janet Barker
Student Writer’s Conference Director
Alta Vista Elementary School
Redondo Beach, CA

“She speaks about reading and writing with intelligence, warmth and humor, and from a wealth of experiences. The teachers appreciate her sensitivity and responsiveness to the students’ interests at each grade level.”

Dr. Gay Toltl Kinman
Caroline Hatton in ParisPast President
Alhambra School District Foundation, Alhambra, CA
Co-coordinator, Authors Festival

“Delightful presentation . . . The multicultural background of Véro and Philippe provides an interesting backdrop to such exciting stories about children who live in far away lands. Our children were captivated.”

Cheryl Lewis
Book Fair Chair
Norma Coombs Alternative School

About Caroline Hatton

About Caroline Hatton

Caroline (rhymes with lean) was born in Normandy to Vietnamese immigrants and raised in Paris. Since her parents weren’t made of French francs, she could never buy enough books, so she borrowed them from her school library. At age ten, having read all the library books an average of 2.7 times each, she began to write novels of her own in French. They were pretty terrible, so it’s a good thing no French writing of hers survived, except for a poem about a cockroach.

Caroline HattonBy age sixteen, all this reading had led to a passion for science, so she took a detour from fiction writing to become a scientist. After earning a pharmacist degree from the University of Paris and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UCLA, she became the Associate Director of the UCLA Olympic Laboratory, helping Dr. Don Catlin and his team test athletes for performance-enhancing drugs. Yet she never lost sight of her desire to write, so in recent years, she rearranged her life to fulfill it.

Caroline’s first, humorous, multicultural novel, Véro and Philippe, made the Los Angeles Times Children’s Bestsellers list. The book is about sibling rivalry turning to teamwork between Vietnamese-French kids growing up in Paris. Her publications also include stories in Cricket, craft activities in Highlights for Children, and the Emergent Readers, Where Is My Puppy?, Surprise Moon, and A Pet For Grandma. Her newest book is The Night Olympic Team, a science adventure of Olympic proportions.

When Caroline is not writing: She consults for sport organizations that fight drug abuse; translates science books from French into English; and visits schools to inspire children to enjoy the power of words.

Interviews

By:

  • Tina Nichols Coury, who presents Caroline’s Writing Tip of the Day: how to write a great nonfiction book ending
  • The School Library Journal, about doping in sports
  • Bonnie O’Brian for California Readers
  • Tina Nichols Coury
  • Terry Pierce
  • Voice of America
    onducted in English, then translated and dubbed in Vietnamese

 

Photos

Sharing the story behind Véro and Philippe
during the publication party
at Dutton’s Brentwood Books

With Don Catlin


Caroline’s desk

At left: Conducting a sample identification test by comparing The Night Olympic Team’s lead scientist Don Catlin with his photo on page 20 of the book, during the publication party at the LA84 Foundation (the legacy of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles)


Readers