1 of 1 copy available
Ben Cutler loves everything about soccer! Heâs got a great team, and they have the best pre-game chants and half-time jokes. He and his best friend, Jay-Jay, even invent dances for when they score a goal! And Ben is good at soccer. Like REALLY good. Too good for a casual rec team. Soon, heâs recruited for a travel team.
His new team plays amazingly well, but they take soccer super seriously. No pre-game chants, no juice-box breaks, and the most important rule of all: NO DANCING. Even though his new team is winning all the time, Ben is left to wonder: Is winning all that matters in the end?
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
April 11, 2023 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781647007683
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781647007683
- File size: 14851 KB
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- ATOS Level: 4.5
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 3
-
Reviews
-
August 15, 2023
A talented young soccer player leaves the recreational league for a more competitive team and discovers a different sports culture. Ben Cutler loves playing soccer with his best friend, Jay-Jay Wright, in the Pizza League. Their team, the Anchovies, celebrate their goals with silly dances and enjoy postgame snacks, win or lose. But when Coach Cleary invites Ben to play for the West Harbor Soccer Academy, Ben finds a much more serious and less fun environment. He feels nervous before games and is surprised and confused by the "no joking around in soccer" attitude of both coach and players; charts listing the differences between West Harbor and the Pizza League are featured throughout. "Host-slash-narrator-slash-play-by-play man" Freddy introduces the Good Sports League series and pops up in graphic novel-style illustrations interspersed throughout; many readers will appreciate a break from the text, while some might find the switch between formats jarring. Freddy states the moral up front--sports should be enjoyable--and this fast-paced, heartfelt story bears out the message. The story closes out with fun activities, including an invitation for readers to create their own sporty nicknames, a sports quiz, and space for readers to write down a list of their goals in life. Ben presents white in the dynamic grayscale illustrations, while Jay-Jay is Black, and Freddy appears to be brown-skinned. Secondary characters are diverse. Good-hearted sporty fun. (Fiction. 8-12)COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-