From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Tess Munro, 13, loves soccer. When school sports funding hinges on getting a tax levy voted in, she works hard to make it happen, but her fundraising activities go awry, and she makes an enemy of an imperious classmate. Jillian hates her after her soccer ball hits Bo, on whom Jillian has a crush. When Tess's team suffers its only loss of the season, she vows to win her last home game, which is on the same day as the election. Her team wins the game, but the levy is voted down. In an abrupt but satisfying ending, Tess raises funds for a pay-for-play team and earns Jillian's friendship. Seven soccer chick rules are dispensed throughout the novel. Although they work well to highlight Tess's motivation, they would be more effective at the beginning or end of chapters. Girl jocks are the natural audience for
Soccer Chick Rules, but it will also appeal to a wider readership. Its hopeful but realistic ending sends an important message to any girl with a passion or a cause.
–Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
Tess Munro is the soccer chick in question, a hard-playing forward who puts the team first. But soon there may be no team; if the school levy fails, sports programs, along with plenty else, including some of the teachers, will be gone. So Tess becomes involved with something besides sports: getting the levy passed. But can she score? FitzGerald takes a serious subject--school finance problems--mixes it with plenty of action-filled sports, and frosts the whole thing with best friends and rivals. The result is just what kids, especially girl jocks, want: a fast-moving, true-to-life, amusing take on school life. The dialogue is especially spot-on, even without the use of swearwords (FitzGerald comes close, but manages to find clever ways to avoid the actual words). Plenty of girls play sports, yet few writers tackle fiction for them. Happily, FitzGerald serves it up with ease.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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