This is a funny book but there are also many opportunities to learn about football and real-life women football players. The sub-plot about a mother who has walked out also shows another dimension to women that is rarely explored in literature. After going viral for his goal, Javier Moreno is getting too big for his football boots. He’s become a ball hogger and a show-off. With his team so close to the championships, will Javier be the teammate they all need or the reason they fail?

Wonderfully funny, wry and determined, Jaz just can't seem to find her place in the world. With her parent's constant arguments and several of her teachers endlessly irritated by Jaz's enthusiastic and sometimes untamed nature, she's having a rough year. But Jaz knows herself well enough to know that she wants, and she's determined and clever enough to push past the NOs and a system that's intent on maintaining the out-dated and incredibly sexist norms to go out and get what she wants: a girl's 7-on-7 soccer club. And even more than that: a championship team! This was a cute middle grade, but I really struggled with the author's writing style, which seemed a bit amateurish and immature. Not only was the main character's voice hardly that of a 10 years old, but it read like the author had forgotten what it is like to be a child. I have read my fair share of middle grades and I can now tell when the authors know how to talk like, about and to children and when they do not. I believe this was a debut, so maybe in the future this aspect will get better; I don't think I will be reading the other books in this companion series, but I really believe there's room for improvement. 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. Jaz Santos vs. the World by Priscilla Mante is a short, middle-grade book about eleven-year-old Jaz who is obsessed with football (soccer). Jaz is finding school difficult and is being labeled a troublemaker, but things are also difficult for her at home because her parents are fighting a lot. When her mum decides to move in with her sister half an hour away, Jaz is left reeling. Jaz builds herself a team that starts out a bit rough around the edges with the intention of shooting for the stars. And shoot she does!Jaz is a wonderful character, she is a passionate, determined, brave kid with a huge heart. The football team she forms is also full of amazing characters and I cannot wait to read more from The Dream Team series. 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.

Also by the end of the book Jaz is facing up to her fears and realising that when things go wrong around her, it isn’t her fault. 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 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 Felix was gifted to me": Kacen Callender shares how their experiences of exploring gender identity inspired their latest novel

Retailers:

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.

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. I've always loved attention, but at the moment, there's a teeny tiny chance I'm getting it for all the wrong reasons.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. 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. If you've got a little one who wants to do nothing other than play football or watch football perhaps you can coax them towards a third option: reading about it. With that in mind, we've gathered a selection of the best football books for 9 year olds to keep young fans entertained between matches. I think it’s been the things I’ve learned about myself on this journey, the genuine support I’ve had from a wide range of people, and ultimately seeing my childhood dream turn into a reality that I can hold in my hand!