This is the first book in the dream team series. Jaz Santos vs. The World is a story about friendship, rejection, girl power, and a passion for football. Soccer Superstar by Jake Maddox, illustrated by Mel Joy San Juan Bundi spends his days repetitively sewing football boots, but his dream is to one day play for the greatest team on earth, Real Madrid. This dream is looking further and further away as he leaves himself indebted to Dragon, the most dangerous man in Jakarta. Paulo dreams of becoming a football star and escaping his life of poverty. His all-boys neighbourhood team don’t think that girls can play football, but when one of his teammates is injured, the only chance they have of succeeding is if his sister Maria steps in to save the day. This beautifully illustrated picture book provides an insight into life within a Brazilian favela and will inspire young girls to be the hero of their stories. 5. Booked by Kwame Alexander A heart-warming, inclusive and funny new story about three big F's: friends, following your dreams and football! Ten year old Jaz has two great loves: her family and football. Her greatest goal in life is to play for England but for now she has to get through Year 6, while everything in her life is going wrong.

Jamie’s football prowess made him popular at his old school, and he is determined to be a star player at his new school, where he struggles to fit in. So, when things go wrong for him at the football trials, he becomes even more desperate to be successful next time. I loved the close relationship between Jamie, whose dad has walked out, and his Grandad Mike. I found Jamie’s dedication and commitment to making the team so inspiring and you can’t help but root for this relatable and likeable character. This first title in the Jamie Johnson series is an immersive and engaging read that will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers! The chapters are short with minimal illustrations. Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras? is the first in the Girls FC series, readers can follow the team through their wins and losses. The Football Boy Wonder by Martin Smith It’s a fantastic story, showing kids they shouldn’t give up on their dreams, especially when they are discouraged by people with outdated ideas on what girls and boys can and can’t do. It also gives a realistic portrayal of a family breakdown through the eyes of a child. Jaz blames herself for the break up and tries her best to fix her family before eventually realising it isn’t her fault. I appreciated how the author didn’t have Jaz’s mum come home for the sake of a happy ending. Football is so topical and relevant at the moment. Why it is important for girls to play as well as boys?This timely and heart-warming story about teamwork, self-belief and following your passions in the face of life’s up and downs is likely to score big with readers aged 8-11. We see this capacity of the game to unite people and develop understanding played out in tournaments such as the World Cup and the UEFA Euros – joyous displays of national pride balanced with inter-cultural exchange. When Jaz sees a flyer for a girls football tournament, she has an idea - she will form a team, win the tournament and her mum will be so happy she’ll come home.

She’s constantly in trouble at school and isn’t allowed to join the football team because she’s a girl and now after months of ignoring arguments between her parents, her mum has left their family home. This wonderful story is for all the kids who have adults in their lives who are set on stopping them, on holding up out-dated norms, than encouraging bravery and daring. The Dream Team: Jaz Santos vs. The World is witty, filled with wisdom, and inspirational. While the book was written for children ages eight and up, there are many gems or quotes that I, an adult woman, needed to be reminded of. I related to many of Jaz’s worries, like the nagging feeling we’re not good enough or that we are responsible for other peoples’ emotions. Ultimately, Jaz’s story is about structural injustices and written for girls who worry that they will be judged not for their talent and hard work but for who they are. It is an important message for all of us: to believe in our excellence and undeniable talent even when the systems in which we work to be accepted continuously attempt to deny and refuse us. The Dream Team are a group of diverse characters, who are firmly united by friendship and football, but they all have their own distinct dreams and passions. Each book in the series will take each character closer to their dreams, but they’ll learn something even more important on their journey. The next title in the series, which centres on Jaz’s best friend Charligh, is about the celebration of difference, and embracing your true self even when you don’t fit in. For debut author Priscilla Mante, football is more than a game. In this article, Priscilla writes about how football can be a powerful tool to help people understand and develop mutual understanding and respect.

As far as the characters are concerned, they were nice. Not my all times favourites, as I didn't really vibe with the MC and she was narrating everything, but nice nonetheless. Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. The plot overall was a pretty standard sports fiction plot, with the addition of some other themes, but I don't think they were handled particularly well. The pacing was a bit strange, because the 'non sports' themes were scattered around, without an organic feel to them. Again, as I believe this was a debut, there's room for improvement and I hope the author focuses on developing her future plots in a more cohesive way.