Baller Boys

by Venessa Taylor

Overview

Shay and Frankie are best friends and football crazy! They eat, sleep and breathe football (even when they're at school!). They dream about playing football, love a kick-about in the park, watch all the big games on TV... all that's missing in their lives is the chance to play for a real football team. All Cultures United is the best club around for miles and all the footie fans want to on their team... including Shay and Frankie. Are they good enough to impress Coach Reece at the AC United trials? Can their friendship survive the competitiveness of football? Will they ultimately fulfil their goal to become Baller Boys?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781916286412
Publisher:	Hashtag Press
Publication date:	05/28/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Venessa Taylor brings two decades of experience as an inner-city primary school teacher and assistant headteacher, to the creation of the Baller Boys series. Aimed at encouraging young boys to enjoy reading, the football-themed stories are written with young readers in mind. Born and raised in London, Venessa continues her legacy as a literacy lead, through her stories.

Editorial Reviews

06/19/2020

Gr 3–7—Shay and Frankie are best friends and avid footballers (soccer players to North Americans). When they hear about a chance to try out for a local summer rec league, they and their families are excited about the challenge. When Shay makes the main squad and Frankie only scores the development team, their friendship is tested by jealousy, awkwardness, and new friends—but this dream team is in it for the long haul. With the help of loving families, supportive coaches, and those same new friends, not to mention the boys' good instincts, the protagonists use their football training to grow as both players and people, while having a lot of fun. The novel deliberately features a widely representative cast of characters from a diverse British neighborhood, and Taylor makes sure to include many small details in her characterizations. However, this feel-good, high-energy story suffers from some stilted writing, especially in the dialogue. It also features illustrations which, while livening up the experience for the reader, don't always match the text (for instance, a character described as having "tight, kinky, dark hair" is pictured with straight hair). These issues don't ruin the reading experience but can be jarring. VERDICT A quick and enjoyable read for sports fans, which will speak to many of the experiences and anxieties of young players.—Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn P.L.

School Library Journal