Soccer Star

Soccer Star

Just in time for the World Cup, 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.

Order Now!
About the Book

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.

AWARDS AND MORE

  • A Junior Library Guild Selection in 2014
  • International Latin Book Awards gives Soccer Star two honorable mentions:
  • Honorable Mention – Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book category– English 2015
  • Honorable mention – Best Use of Illustrations Inside the Book – 2015
  • Translated into Portuguese
  • Published in the United Kingdom under the name Football Star
Details
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication Year: 2014
Illustrator: Renato Alarcao
ASIN: 0763660566
ISBN: 0763660567
Endorsements
"Alarcão’s luminous digitally colored sepia-ink illustrations elegantly portray the setting. The joyful expressions of the players as they dribble, knee, and bicycle kick the ball around the sandy soccer field reinforce the story’s positive and inspiring tone. Readers who love the game will cheer on Felino and his team of hopeful soccer stars."
"Javaherbin deftly handles Paulo and Maria’s poverty with honesty while simultaneously refraining from sugarcoating, overemphasizing or romanticizing it. Perhaps most importantly, Javaherbin shows that being poor doesn’t stop people from having lives and dreams."
"Javaherbin follows Goal! with another moving story drawn from the world of soccer, this time focusing on a Brazilian boy named Paolo with big dreams for himself and his neighborhood team."
Order Now
Buy from IndieBound
Buy from Amazon
Preview
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial