Review by Booklist Review
Following the same attractively designed format as the authors' Long Ball: The Legend and Lore of the Home Run (2006), Swish: The Quest for Basketball's Perfect Shot (2009), and Touchdown: The Power and Precision of Football's Perfect Play (2009), this well-written book explores the nuances of scoring in the world's most popular sport. A quick history of the game lays the groundwork with details that may be new to even hard-core fans. The second chapter jumps right into the good stuff with descriptions of 10 of the most famous goals, just begging to be marveled over again and again on YouTube. Also included is a rundown of the best male and female scorers from the early twentieth century to the present and weird anomalies and amusing anecdotes from soccer lore. The records section is scanty, but that has more to do with the relatively statistics-free nature of the game. A strong choice to dovetail with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but with plenty of staying power well beyond that.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-With a plethora of first-rate soccer books capitalizing on the anticipation of World Cup Soccer 2010 in June, Stewart and Kennedy have risen to the occasion. Covering the history of the sport as well as amazing, wild, and weird goals, they include a multitude of meaty, one-paragraph profiles of male and female stars and organize them chronologically from the late 1800s to the present. The writing is enhanced with historical photographs and reproductions of several players' soccer cards from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Readers will pick up tidbits of conversational facts such as how the phrase "Bend it like Beckham" originated and how Pele helped to popularize soccer in the United States. The authors show a great respect for goalkeepers as well as the scorers throughout the narrative. Even though there are at least two new series of books published this spring, including Rosen's "World Soccer" and Heinemann's "World Cup," a large amount of information is contained in this slim, engagingly readable book. Consider where one book will suffice, rather than a series.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
After tracing the history of soccer, the book describes memorable goals (e.g., Maradona's "Hand of God" goal) and famous players (da Silva, Peli, Hamm, Ronaldhino, etc.). Later chapters discuss strange goals (e.g., a shooter's torn shorts fall down), World Cup records, and the future of the sport. Engaging trivia and lively photographs compensate for uneven writing. Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
