Ten

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 5, 2018

Review

Eleven-year-old May adores soccer. She loves watching it on television, she plans on playing in the World Cup one day, and she would like to marry her favorite player (Zico from Brazil). The only problem is that she has never actually played the game. Growing up in Malaysia in 1986, Maya is part of a community that believes that soccer is a boys' game. She persists, acquiring a real ball, coaxing her friends to play, and even convincing her town to fund uniforms for a real team. This short novel for 3-5th grade readers packs a lot in. Dealing with the threat of her parents marriage falling apart, enduring her brother's teasing, coping with the severity of the nuns teaching at her school, and navigating the bullying at the hands of her peers, Maya holds onto her resolve, stays positive, and focuses on the game that just might make everything olay. Flint does an excellent job of illustrating the way that sport can bring people together. A great book to show a window into another culture and time.

Overall Book Score: very good