Soccer &#8211; Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

That’s Not How You Play Soccer, Daddy!

by Sherry Shahan
illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss

Mikey is the super-competitive young captain of the Hot Diggedy Diner soccer team. He works hard, even if his teammates are easily distracted by anthill investigations and turning themselves into whirlybirds.

After a tough practice, Mikey only wants to practice for the Big Game. Daddy offers to help, but to Mikey’s dismay he keeps bending the rules and telling his impatient son to “just have fun.” After an irresistible ticklefest, however, Mikey finally comes around to Daddy’s way of thinking—and joins him and Socks in the worst, best soccer game ever!

Author Sherry Shahan shows young readers that there is more than one way for kids to play—and enjoy—a game. Illustrator Tatjana Mai-Wyss’s exuberant and whimsical watercolor illustrations reflect the characters’ winning personalities and the upbeat spirit of the story.

Hardcover
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Hardcover

Format: Hardcover
Price: $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-416-7
Publication Date: 9/1/2007
Page Count: 32
Size: 10-3/8″ x 8-1/2″
Age Range: 4 – 8
Language: English

More Details

AR Level: 1.6
F&P: L, Gr 2, Genre RF
Themes: Play, Relationships, Sports
BISAC 1: JUV019000 JUVENILE FICTION /Humorous Stories
BISAC 2: JUV005000 JUVENILE FICTION / Boys & Men
BISAC 3: JUV032150 JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / Soccer

Reviews

“In a warm reversal of the usual competitive sports message, a parent teaches his son to let go and just have fun…The playful illustrations in watercolor and collage show the team playing ball and also goofing off; and the simple, rhythmic words, featuring lots of repetition, will have kids joining in.” ―Booklist

Awards

Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (Primary) ―Kansas National Education Association, 2008

Meet the Author

Sherry Shahan is a photojournalist and the author of numerous books for young readers, including Death Mountain and That’s Not How You Play Soccer, Daddy!.Shahan lives in California.

Meet the Illustrator

Tatjana Mai-Wyss was born in Switzerland. She has illustrated a number of picture books, including A Tree for Emmy and That’s Not How You Play Soccer, Daddy! She lives in South Carolina.

Soccer Team Upset

Mary Perry — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 18:12:34 +0000

Middle Readers

Discussion Guide

Soccer Team Upset

Part of Fred Bowen Sports Story Series

by Fred Bowen

Get back on the soccer field with this action-packed Sports Story Series book from Washington Post KidsPost columnist and author Fred Bowen – perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green.

Tyler hopes for an unbeatable season for his soccer team, but is that even possible when his friends—and the team’s best players—leave for an elite travel team?

With their best players gone, Tyler is excited when Coach Murray gives him the midfielder position. It’s tough, and despite how hard Tyler tries, his team can’t seem to win a game. Then an elderly English soccer fan tells Tyler about the United States’ 1–0 surprise upset against England, the world’s number one team, in the 1950 World Cup. Inspired by these underdogs and their one play that changed the course of the game, Tyler finds a new sense of determination. But is one play really enough to beat the top-ranked team in their own league?

Weaving a fast-paced story of jealousy, compassion, and pride, author Fred Bowen excites readers in this classic tale of underdogs rising to victory. Find out the real story of the 1950 World Cup match between the United States and England in the afterword.

Paperback

Format: Paperback
Price: $6.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-495-2
Publication Date: 8/1/2009
Page Count: 128
Size: 5-1/4″ x 7-1/2″
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

eBook

Format: eBook
ISBN: 978-1-56145-613-0
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

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More Details

AR Level: 4.0
F&P: GRL R, Gr 4, Genre RF
Lexile: 630L
Themes: Confidence, Soccer, Teamwork
BISAC 1: JUV032150 JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / Soccer
BISAC 2: JUV039060 JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship
BISAC 3: JUV000000 JUVENILE FICTION / General

Reviews

“Action will keep readers interested.”―BookLinx

Meet the Author

Fred Bowen is the author of Peachtree’s popular Fred Bowen Sports Story series. A lifelong sports fanatic, he has coached youth league baseball, basketball, and soccer. His kids’ sports column “The Score” appears each week in the KidsPost section of the Washington Post. Bowen lives in Maryland. You can visit his website here.

Defending Irene

Mary Perry — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 16:42:46 +0000

Middle Readers

Defending Irene

by Kristin Wolden Nitz

Irene loves soccer, and back in Missouri, she was one of the top players on her school’s girls’ team. But things are different in Merano, Italy.

Irene loves the feel of the ball exploding off her foot for a shot at the goal, but in the small, very traditional Alpine town in Italy where Irene and her family have come for a yearlong stay, there is no soccer team for girls.

When Irene decides to join the highly competitive boys’ team, she has little idea what she’s getting herself into. She must prove herself to the strict coach, and her teammates make it clear they don’t want her on the field. Especially Matteo, the team’s star player, who goes out of his way to make Irene unwelcome. But Irene does not give up easily.

With an often humorous look at a collision of cultures, Kristin Wolden Nitz has created a complex adolescent character whom readers will root for as she struggles to find her place in a new country and on the field.

Hardcover

Format: Hardcover
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-309-2
Publication Date: 4/1/2004
Page Count: 224
Size: 6 ̎ x 9 ̎
Age Range: 8 – 12
Language: English

eBook

Format: eBook
ISBN: 978-1-56145-871-4
Age Range: 8 – 12
Language: English

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More Details

AR Level: 3.9
F&P: GRL U, Gr 5, Genre RF
Themes: Determination, Gender, Italy, Perseverance, Soccer
BISAC 1: JUV032150 JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / Soccer
BISAC 2: JUV030050 JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / Europe
BISAC 3: JUV041000 JUVENILE FICTION /Girls & Women

Reviews

“What keeps this tale from being just another soccer story with play-by-play action is the unique setting; the inventiveness of the chapter headings, which consist of Italian words, pronunciations, and definitions; and Irene’s determination.” ―School Library Journal

“Soccer fans, especially girls, will appreciate the well-drawn action sequences and Irene’s feisty spirit.” ―The Horn Book Guide

Awards

Young Adult Top Forty ―Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, 2005

Meet the Author

Kristin Wolden Nitz is an avid sports fan, coach, and the author of many magazine articles on kids and sports. Nitz is the author of Suspect and Defending Irene, and has also written nonfiction books, including Play By Play Softball, Play By Play Track, and Play By Play Field. She lives in Michigan. You can visit her website here.

Out of Bounds

Mary Perry — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 17:42:22 +0000

Middle Readers

Discussion Guide

Out of Bounds

Part of Fred Bowen Sports Story Series

by Fred Bowen

Looking for soccer action? Check out this Sports Story Series book from Washington Post KidsPost columnist and author Fred Bowen – perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green.

“Bowen tucks in plenty of soccer action.” ―Booklist Online

“You’ll be entranced until the last shot on goal.” ―Soccer Wire

Eighth-grader Nate Osborne is a forward on his soccer team, the Strikers. Like the rest of his team, he can get competitive, especially when it comes to playing against their rivals, the Monarchs. The Strikers desperately want the Monarchs to lose. They even root against them when they play other teams.

During a game against the Monarchs, Nate has to decide between going for a goal after a player on the rival team gets injured or kicking the ball out of bounds as an act of good sportsmanship. His aunt has always taught him the importance of fair play, but will he lose the support of his team if he does the right thing?

Out of Bounds is an entertaining yet thoughtful story about young athletes struggling with teamwork and sportsmanship.

Hardcover

Format: Hardcover
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-845-5
Publication Date: 8/1/2015
Page Count: 144
Size: 5-1/4″ x 7-1/2″
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

Paperback

Format: Paperback
Price: $6.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-894-3
Publication Date: 8/1/2015
Page Count: 144
Size: 5-1/4″ x 7-1/2″
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

eBook

Format: eBook
ISBN: 978-1-56145-926-1
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

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More Details

F&P: GRL Q, Gr 4, Genre RF
Lexile: 630L
Themes: Soccer, Sportsmanship, Teamwork
BISAC 1: JUV032150 JUVENILE FICTION /Sports & Recreation / Soccer
BISAC 2: JUV013000 JUVENILE FICTION / Family / General
BISAC 3: JUV005000 JUVENILE FICTION / Boys & Men

Reviews

“Bowen tucks in plenty of soccer action —plus a chocolate chip cookie recipe—and closes with some real-life sports incidents that exemplify the principle he wants to highlight.” ―Booklist Online

“Bowen understands the dynamics of our sport, its nuances, and the give-and-take of a soccer match, especially among young players… You’ll be entranced until the last shot on goal” ―Soccer Wire

“Bowen came up with another gem in this novel” ―4^th Grade Reading

“Younger readers, or older readers who struggle, will find this book is one that engages their interest and challenges their perceptions of how sports should be played.” ―YA and Kids Books Central

Awards

Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Reading List (Intermediate) ―Kansas National Education Association, 2016

Massachusetts Children’s Book Award (master list) ―Salem State College, 2016-2017

Meet the Author

Go for the Goal!

Mary Perry — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 14:38:18 +0000

Middle Readers

Discussion Guide

Go for the Goal!

Part of Fred Bowen Sports Story Series

by Fred Bowen

Get back on the soccer field with this action-packed Sports Story Series book from Washington Post KidsPost columnist and author Fred Bowen – perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green.

Josh is so excited when he earns a spot on the United, an elite travel soccer team with exceptionally talented players. So why can’t they win a game?

Despite grueling practices and talent, Josh’s teammates are prone to hogging the ball and seem to only play for themselves. He begins to wonder if made a mistake leaving his old team. But just when he’s about to give up, Josh learns that the 1999 United States Women’s World Cup team faced similar difficulties the year they won it all. Can Josh convince his coach (and his team) to use team-building exercises like the U.S. women’s team to make them stronger? Or will they continue to lose the rest of the season?

Fred Bowen returns with another edge-of-your-seat Sports Story Series title emphasizing the important values of teamwork and relationships. An afterword offers more information about the 1999 United States Women’s World Cup team.

Paperback

Format: Paperback
Price: $6.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-632-1
Publication Date: 8/1/2012
Page Count: 128
Size: 5-1/4″ x 7-1/2″
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

eBook

Format: eBook
ISBN: 978-1-56145-777-9
Age Range: 7 – 12
Language: English

Purchase this eBook through the following vendors: