Happy Monday! Middle Grade Monday features Booked by Kwame Alexander. Eighth grader Nick is soccer obsessed. Books, reading and school? Not so much. His linguistics professor dad expects him to read the dictionary each day to improve his vocabulary. Nick wants his dad to improve his own marital relationship. His mom is considering moving out. At school, he's menaced by twin bullies and the only bright spots are getting to see his crush, April and Mr. Mac., the school librarian, who raps and is determined to get Nick to like reading by slipping him books he can relate to.
This 2016 publication followed The Crossover and is equally engaging with vivid soccer scenes, popping rhymes and plenty of humor. A graphic novel adaptation was released last August.
Shine on Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel. 276 p. Chronicle Books, March, 2022. 9781797209678. (Review of finished purchased copy.)
Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Middle Grade Monday features Shine on Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel. Luz is a sixth grader who is struggling now that she has been sidelined after an injury on the soccer field. She had always been a star and loved having her dad as a coach. Now that she can't play, maybe forever, she senses a coldness from him. She's also stuck in a soccer elective at school which makes missing soccer even worse. One morning, she passes a robotics class and is intrigued by the hum of activity. She learns that she can switch her morning elective, but has to take an intro class first before joining that class. The problem? It's held at the elementary school! Will Luz put her pride aside to pursue a new interest?
This fast-paced story features well-rounded characters and authentic tween dynamics. Luz is sympathetic and relatable as she navigates her post-soccer world and deals with the revelation of a family secret.
Shine On Luz Véliz is a terrific addition to any library. Happy reading and happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
SI Kids: My First Book of Soccer. By Beth Bugler and Mark Bechtel. Illustrated by Bill Hinds. A Rookie Book. 48 p. Liberty Street/ Time Inc. Books, May 16, 2017. 9781683300021. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)
This colorful fourth entry in the Rookie Book series joins older siblings, My First Book of Football, My First Book of Hockey and My First Book of Baseball. It's attractively designed featuring a cartoon girl and boy providing commentary and humorous asides. Hilariously, the boy runs onto the title page in a football uniform despite the fact that the hip girl explains on the front end-pages, the fact that soccer is called football all over the world except the U.S. A. The basic rules are explained using real men's and women's soccer teams and players in posed and action shots to illustrate the concepts.
The background pages are brightly colored, the fonts are varied, fairly large and prone to exuberance. The layout is the same as the other books framing the sections by soccer halves and counting the time down as explanations range from field layout through positions and skills like dribbling, tackling, passing, etc.
This is another fabulous, kid-friendly introduction to a sport. Perfect for newbies, oldbies, gym teachers, coaches and parents alike. Collect all these for any school or public library collection.
