Soccer Star
Sale price
$759
Picture Book · Ages 5–8 · 2014 · Est. 6 min read-aloud

Soccer Star

Written by Mina Javaherbin · Illustrated by Renato Alarcao

A boy's soccer dream hinges on his sister's unexpected help.

4.8/7 Bookroo expert·4.0/5 Goodreads · 201 ratings
40 pages· 705 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud
$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Paulo dreams of soccer stardom to lift his family from hardship. His sister Maria, skilled in soccer moves, might be the team's secret weapon when an injury threatens their game. Will they defy tradition and let her play? In a world where resilience is born from poverty, this tale of ambition and breaking barriers promises a heartwarming victory.

From the publisher

An inspiring story of a Brazilian boy who dreams of being a soccer star – and the sister who steps in to help his team win a game. When Paulo Marcelo Feliciano becomes a soccer star, crowds will cheer his famous name! Then his mother won’t have to work long hours, and he won’t have to work all day on a fishing boat. For now, Paulo takes care of his little sister Maria (she teaches him reading, he teaches her soccer moves) and walks her to school, stopping to give his teammates cheese buns as they set out to shine people’s shoes or perform for the tourist crowd. At day’s end, it’s time to plan the game, where Givo will bounce, Carlos will kick, and Jose will fly! But when Jose falls on his wrist, will the team finally break the rules and let a girl show her stuff? Set in a country whose resilient soccer stars are often shaped by poverty, this uplifting tale of transcending the expected scores a big win for all.

At a glance
Format
Paperback
Pages
40
Words
705
Reading age
5–8
Audience
Picture
Lexile
AD550L
Themes & topics
Books about cultureBooks about courageBooks about sports and recreationBooks about soccerBooks about family
What readers & critics say

Reviews

4.8

out of 7

4.8

I had a hard time figuring out what this book was about...a little about poverty, a little about children having to work and the myriad ways they earn money, a lot about soccer and dreams of stardom, and a little about empowering girls and expanding what they're allowed to do... but I did like it. the illustrations are great as well.

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
3.2
F&P level
~N
AR points
0.5
AR interest level
LG
AR quiz
165762
Publication
Published
March 12, 2019
First published
April 8, 2014
Publisher
Candlewick
Edition
Language
English
Type
Picture Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9781536207132

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