Customer Reviews

Kickoff (Going for Gold)

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Tyra's an Army brat, and her father has been relocated to England. Now she's leaving her best friend behind and must start over again.

On the first day of school, she meets Alicia. Instantaneously, Alicia feels threatened and uses her popularity to make Tyra miserable.

When she hears about the school soccer team, Tyra perks up. She thinks it might be a way to fit in. Unfortunately, Alicia was the star of last year's team. But as the season goes on, it's clear that was last year, and this year, Tyra is shinning. Can two stars be on the same team?

The tension of the book comes on the soccer field between the two fighting stars. They're winning without using teamwork, but as they encounter better teams they need to start working together. With a championship at stake, can the rivalry between Alicia and Tyra take a backseat to sports?

Once again, Donna King takes an every day issue and uses it to highlight a sporting drama.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Tyra, 13 and her sister Shirelle, 5 are Army brats who have moved from Florida to England. Tyra chafes at making the adjustment to living in a different country and coping with her sister's special needs. Although one specialist suggested that Shirelle might have autism in addition to ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), her behavior is plainly on the ADD plane. She is easily distracted; has frequent meltdowns in public and cannot remain in the local school due to distruptive and aggressive behavior.

Soccer champ Tyra has to deal with aggressive peers and faculty. A good coach gets together a soccer team at her school. She has the requisite friends and admirers because of her track record in the United States and a requisite antagonist, a spoiled, hostile girl named Alicia.

We have the usual sneaky girl backstabbing tricks; some calculated injuries and some gossip. Over time as we know Tyra will triumph on the soccer field.

Although I was not overly impressed with this book, it is a good book for tween girls about girl power.

I think that this is a very good book, it starts off kind of slow. So you have to stick with it for a while, it is a little unrealistic they win a little to easy. Other then that there are some really good parts to this book. I would recommened it for girls 9-11 who like soccer. i do not think boys or older teens will enjoy this book.