Australian Matildas and World Cup superstar Sam Kerr teams up with Aki Fukuoka to bring young readers this fun and inspiring illustrated series about soccer, school, sport, friendship, dealing with bullies and following your dreams.
The 2006 World Cup is around the corner and thirteen-year-old Sam Kerr is pumped! Even though the games are being played on the other side of the world, Sam and her best friend, Dylan, are planning to get up early to watch the games live on TV. They couldn’t be more excited!
But there’s more for Sam to get excited about when she’s invited to trial for a rep soccer team; the coach of the team has seen Sam play and is blown away by how good she is. Sam is thrilled when she gets into the team, then she realises she has to juggle training with the Knights AND with her new rep team. And when her mum and dad organise a family holiday interstate it looks like Sam might have to miss out because of her new timetable.
Sam starts to question if she’s really ready for the big time. Will watching the World Cup convince her that she wants to play in the rep team, or will the juggle of school, training and games all become too much for a girl who has just started high school?
Sam Kerr and Fiona Harris’ Kicking Goals is a fantastic children’s book series about a fierce young Kerr and her journey to becoming one of Australia’s best soccer players. Her past four books explored Sam switching from AFL to soccer, and how she joined her team the Knights.
Now, in book #5, Cup Countdown!, Kerr returns with another knockout novel that finds Sam trying to juggle her passion for soccer and her life as a high schooler.
The novel delves into the pressure and inevitable change that comes with starting high school. It’s hard for most kids experiencing the transition, but when you’ve got the biggest soccer event of the year on, and a trial for a rep soccer team, life gets even more complicated.
Sam is an empathetic, kind and strong-willed protagonist, who demonstrates great ways to manage conflicts with friends and family. The authors excel at giving young Sam an authentic voice, highlighting common struggles young kids can face. This series is relatable because it isn’t just about soccer; it’s about a new teen transitioning to high school and finding her tribe. Throughout the series we’ve seen Sam go from discovering her passion for soccer and making new friends, to finally getting a chance to move up into the rep teams.
Kicking Goals #5: Cup Countdown! is a standout addition to the Kicking Goals series that explores the next step in young Sam’s journey to becoming an Australian soccer star. Perfect for ages 7+. Sam’s journey is an inspiring one to say the least, and perfect for reluctant and avid readers, and any young sports fans.
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