Soccer Books

The Everything Kids' Soccer Book: Rules, Techniques, and More About Your Favorite Sport! (Everything Kids Series)

Deborah Crisfield

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Great Book For Kids 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I coach a team of 8 through 10 year old girls, and I bought the book hoping to find an explanation for offside that kids that age could understand.

While that element was only so-so, I found that the book is a great resource for kids in many areas of the game. Truth is, I personally learned some things (like the "Argentina" free kick play) from this book as well.

Some things I liked:
- Most of the book is written in simple terms (there are a couple areas that might confuse kids)
- Puzzles and games and such to keep kids' attention
- Many areas of the game covered from rules to technique

Some things I didn't like:
- While it is for kids, it is not clearly geared to any particular age group, so there are parts that are too complicated for younger kids and still other parts that would seem too "childish" to older kids (overall, I felt it would be most useful to the 8 and 9 year olds on my team).
- The puzzles and games don't do anything to reinforce the information learned in the book. They are just for entertainment.

Overall a very good book, and for 8 bucks, it's definitely worth a buy if soccer is your kid's thing.

Editorial Review:

Five million kids can't be wrong! Here's a kid-friendly book to help youngsters excel at their favourite sport. The Everything Kids' Soccer Book teaches kids: Rules of the game and field positions; How to dribble, trap, and head the ball; Defence and the art of goalkeeping; Winning techniques and why possession is everything; How to train for the game and much more

Mia Hamm: On the Field with... (Athlete Biographies)

Matt Christopher, Glenn Stout

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book is the best! 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.

This book is by far the best i've ever read. It has great pictures and has lots of info on Mia. I think she is the best player i've ever seen. So this book was very interesting. If you love to play soccer, and enjoy watching and learning about Mia , this is THE perfect book! Once you start reading it, you won't stop reading until you've finished! SO GET OUT THERE,GET OFF YOUR BUTT, AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER, AND READ!

Mia Hamm and How She Started 3 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I would recommend this book not only to people who love soccer, but to everyone who enjoys a true story about a great athlete and role model. The story of Mia Hamm is basically about how she was introduced to soccer and how she follows her dream to be the best women's soccer player in the world.

The book is really better than it looks like! 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 18 people found this review helpful.

On teh field with Mia Hamm by Matt Christopher was a very goodbook. I didn't have a very good idea who Mia Hamm really was though.The only thing I know is a professional soccer player. I aw the book and it looked pretty interesting. I'm about a quarter of the way through the book and I'm liking it so far. Usually I don't read books , let alone a whole book.

Editorial Review:

Mia Hamm helped the 1996 Olympic team win the gold medal in soccer. Now for her fans and those who would like to know more about this fantastic athlete, this insightful story presents her complete story.

Harriers: The Making of a Championship Cross Country Team

Joseph Shivers, Paul Shivers

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Subjects -> Sports -> Individual Sports -> Running & Jogging

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

over-rated 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

To be perfectly honest this book was an utter dissapointment. The language is impressive for the authors age however the overall story line is lacking. The book overemphasized the work effort that the boys upon this team actually underwent, and also downsized the incredible amount of luck that they were able to have 5 extremely talented athletes in two very uncompetetive years for the state of Ohio. In addition the author Joe Shivers desperatley made himself up to be an important member of the team by exagerating the importance of the sixth runner. I myself have competed in numerous major cross country meets and other than within this book I have yet to find a meet where the winner was decided by a sixth runner. This is a prime example of how joe attempted to make his inability to make the top five somehow important and relevant to the story. Overall this is a story of ten or so spoiled boys that manage to be lucky enough through enormous talent and an uncompetetive state meet become state champions. The story has no depth and lacks any sort of inspiration that a book of this nature should posess. If you want a good running book try Running With The Buffaloes by chris lear but do not buy this book for it is a complete disapointment.

Editorial Review:

A fresh perspective enlivens this classic story about a losing team with an energetic new coach. Written by two Ohio teenagers about their high school's cross-country team, this account offers engaging portraits of the kids and their coach, passes on lessons of hard work and sacrifice, and follows the ascent of the Salem Quakers cross-country team to a first-place ranking in their conference and third place at the 2003 state championships. Along the way the teenagers learn the unromantic truth about the athletic association that regulates their high school sport—legal wrangling and uproar ensue when officials find scoring errors in a postseason meet. As they develop their talents and teamwork, the teens also learn valuable lessons about sports rules, bureaucracy, and true success.

My Soccer Book

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good for 4 or 5 year olds. 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I was very disappointed when I first looked at this book. It is very basic and hardly seems to provide enough information to be worthwhile. But when I read it to my four year old it solicited a string of questions. So it probably has the about the right amount of information for a very basic introduction to soccer, which is all the intended audience is ready for. Overall I would recommend it.

Great for four year olds! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

My two love this book. It breaks the principles of the game into simplistic steps and basic explanations which are perfect for preschoolers. The bold pictures make the book enjoyable for the boys to "read" to themselves sometimes, too.

Editorial Review:

Soccer is fun - let's play!

Find all the basics in this lively guide.

• The markings on a soccer field
• What soccer players wear
• The positions, from forward to goalkeeper
• The excitement of pasing a ball
• The thrill of making a goal

All these and more are included, with a useful glossary at the end.

Kids' Book of Soccer: Skills, Strategies, and the Rules of the Game

Brooks Clark

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Very helpful and easy to understand. 4 out of 5 stars.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful.

I am the first time coach of a second grade boys soccer team. This book was very easy to understand for the kids as well as myself. For kids that are relatively new to the game it explains positions, the different kinds of kicks and the all around basics of soccer without getting too technical. It has been a great aid for our team.

An excellent guide for beginning players and new coaches 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.

This book provides a brief introduction to soccer, at the right level of detail for those new to the game. My 11-year-old son found the summary of the rules and strategies quite helpful. As a new coach, I was glad to have a compact volume that included most of what I needed to know. There are other books that provide more detail on the game and more exercises and drills for soccer players -- but this is the ideal "first book" for someone just learning about the game. I recommend it highly.

Editorial Review:

Once considered to be a solely European sport, soccer has now surpassed baseball in popularity among American schoolchildren. Geared toward kids aged seven to twelve, this easy-to-understand book includes such topics as the history of the game, the basics of how to play, suggestions on how to become a better player, and fun soccer trivia.

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman

Kathleen Krull

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Classroom Book 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I have used Wilman Unlimited in my classroom for the past few years. It is a fantastic book to use any time during the year, but good for Black History Month also. I use it with fourth graders to teach sequencing and analyzing character. I highly recommend this book.

Running just as fast as she can 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Inspirational stories fill hundreds of picture books every year. Most are simply awful. They either tell tales that are loose plots barely supported by facts or they paste together a slapdash concoction of truth and fiction with as little thought as possible. The truly beautiful bio-picture books out there are as rare as hummingbirds in autumn. So it was with great joy that I located "Wilma Unlimited" and found it to be not only inspirational but also a darned good read. Written by Kathleen Krull (the woman who could make long dead musicians fascinating in "Lives of the Musicians" and bring Cesar Chavez to life in the recent "Harvesting Hope") and illustrated by David Diaz the book is the best possible way to introduce kids to one of the world's greatest athletes.

Born in 1940 to a family of twenty-one people (nineteen siblings, no less), Wilma Rudolph was initially a sickly child. Though she was energetic enough, she often caught every disease imaginable. At the age of five, Wilma's left leg twisted inward and it was clear that she'd come down with polio. Still, Wilma was a determined child and she consistently exercised her unruly leg to get stronger. After continual practice, she was finally able to walk free of the leg brace that had weighed her down. At twelve the brace was put away for good and Wilma started participating in sports. She led her high school basketball team to the finals, catching the eye of a college coach. Before you knew it, Wilma was recruited into the Tennessee State University's track-and-field team on a full ride scholarship. In 1960 she competed in the Olympic Games in Rome. The book sets this part up beautifully. Wilma arrived with a twisted ankle into a place filled with television cameras (the first time they ever filmed the Olympics), the place "shimmering heat", and her competition consisting of runners who had run faster races than she ever had. Then Wilma proceeds to win one... two... three gold medals! The last medal is especially dramatic, hinging on the moment when Wilma drops her baton and STILL beats the other runners in the 400-meter relay. The last double page spread in this book shows Wilma standing, "tall and still, like a queen", earning the last of her three medals. It's a truly proud moment for all who have the privilege to experience it once again in picture book form.

Krull has a way with words. I'm not saying that Wilma Rudolph's life is dull. Far from it. But in the hands of a lesser author this story could easily have been bogged down in all the wrong moments. This author knows which moments should be given full glory. The moment when Wilma removes her brace and walks proudly into church will banish from your mind that similar pseudo-inspirational moment in "Forrest Gump". Wilma's struggle at the Olympics through pain and skepticism puts the reader through the same strains. You yearn for this woman to beat them and beat 'em she does. Then, best of all, come the illustrations of David Diaz. This is my first Diaz experience, though I suspect that I'll read many more of his books as the days go on. Diaz has accompanied his illustrations in this tale with sepia toned photographs. The book's endpapers display the outlines of footprints in the dirt. The title page is an evocative view of ivy climbing a raw wooden fence. Behind his colorful illustrations, each background photograph refers to the corresponding scene obliquely. When Wilma and her mother take the bus to the hospital, the photograph is a close-up of a wheel. When she packs away her leg brace, it's shredded packing paper. A great relief it is indeed that the colored illustrations are worthy of their sepia compatriots. Though these pictures may appear blunt at first, they are filled with the most delicate of designs. I loved watching the character of Wilma as she aged. As she grows in confidence, her posture improves and back stiffens until, by the last shot, she is standing taller than all the women around her. Than all the women in the world.

"Wilma Unlimited" should be known to everyone living in American today. This is inspirational without being either annoying or faux-patriotic. It's an actual honest-to-goodness amazing story. The book is beautiful and its story is worthy of its packaging. I challenge you to read it and not shake your head at least once in amazement. It's just that good.

Editorial Review:

Before Wilma was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run--all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single olympiad.

K Is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet (Sbp-Alphabet)

Brad Herzog

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An alphabet book for fans of soccer, both young and old 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have to think the idea reader for "K is for Kick: A Soccer Alphabet" is going to be the parent who is having trouble waiting for their kid to be old enough to go out on the soccer field and kick the ball around, let along trying to help the kid learn to read. Author Brad Herzog admittedly creates a two-tier format that has one part targeted on young readers learning the alphabet and the other for more advanced readers who are clearly soccer fans. But I have to think that if a kid is learning his alphabet than the idea that "C is for clubs everywhere" and gives examples of Italy's A.C. Milan and Santos in Brazil, that they probably have little idea as to where to find Italy and Brazil on the map. There are references to age appropriate aspects of the game, such as kicking and youth soccer, but then "N" stands for not only the University of North Carolina's dynasty in women's soccer but number 19, the number that UNC retired in honor of Mia Hamm.

In addition to examining the history and lore of soccer from A for a game played "all over the world" to Z for the French soccer star "Zinedine Zindane," Herzog provides detailed sidebars on each topic that supply lots of details that adult readers who are soccer fans can appreciate. This may well be one of the most impractical alphabet books I have come across, but that seems a small matter given the love of the game that infuses the entire volume. The result is one of the few alphabet books that young readers may actually enjoy more as they grow older and can read the details provided in the small print. The illustrations by Melanie Ross-Popp are energetic enough and older readers will appreciate her liberty in showing Brandi Chastain (under L for "ladies"). This is one of a series of alphabet books from Sleeping Bear Press that includes "A is for America: An American Alphabet," "M is for Maple: A Canadian Alphabet," "M is for Majestic: A National Park Alphabet," "P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet," and "Z is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphebet." Of course, I am waiting for the Baseball Alphabet book (H is for Home Run?).

Editorial Review:

Illustrated by Melanie Rose

Author Brad Herzog brings his well-received prose and soccer knowledge together with Melanie Rose's charming and realistic illustrations to detail every facet of the game. Each letter has a simple rhyme for young readers:

"J is for the Jerseys that soccer players wear.
But often in the World Cup, opponents tend to share.
In a gesture of respect after a game ends,
They simply swap their jerseys as if they are old friends."

For older readers the expository text gives specific details about goaltending, referees, the World Cup, and many other aspects. K is for Kick follows the wildly popular Z is for Zamboni.

The Kingfisher Soccer Encyclopedia

Clive Gifford

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

AWSOME!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

this is an awsome soccer book and it has absolutly everything you would ever want to know!

amazing picturs and superb info, you just got to read it!!! because i am a tremendous soccer fan, i must say that this is a must and has alot of fun interesting info!!

from the book: did you know that India withdrew from the 1950 world cup when FIFA refused to allow players to be barefoot!!!!

Editorial Review:

From the first soccer games to today's money-spinning global industry, the book takes readers to the heart of a sport that is played and watched by millions of people around the world. It explains the key rules, skills, and tactics and examines issues in and around the game—supporters, the media, and the demands of being a professional player. With profiles of the world's greatest teams and soccer's legendary players, from Alfredo di Stefano to Mia Hamm, every aspect of this world-class sport is covered comprehensively. Stunning 3-D digital artwork recreates some of the most famous moves and greatest goals in soccer history, while dramatic full-spread photographs capture the game's most memorable moments.

Kids Running: Have Fun, Get Faster & Go Farther

Carol Goodrow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Turn off the TV and channel your energy: RUN and get this book! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Carol Goodrow breaks through the finish line with a gold medal finish again!

Recommended for grades 1 to 6, this 82-page gem has content stimulating enough for adult readers, yet colorful, clever and charming enough to read to toddlers.

The information is rock-solid, perfect for a lifelong foundation in health.

This book is a cheerful antedote to wearisome complaints of youth with too much screen time and too little nutritious food. It is not preachy, and has enough informative tidbits and silly riddles to keep readers returning again and again.

Librarians, teachers, parents and grandparents will want to get this mighty treasure.

Editorial Review:

A book about running—written just for kids.

Kids Running tells you all you need to know about this wonderful sport: getting started, training, fun runs, races, proper footwear, good eating habits, cross-training, safety, running games, after-school clubs, clothing, mileage tracking, and journal writing.
With a lively mix of pictures, information, vocabulary, and some entertaining asides, this book will help channel all that youthful energy toward excellent running, and a lifetime of good health.

Recommended for grades 1 through 6.

Time For Kids: Jesse Owens: Running into History (Time For Kids)

Editors Of Time For Kids

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> People & Places -> Biographies -> Historical

Editorial Review:

Take a close-up look at Jesse Owens, an African American track star—and one of the greatest athletes of all time. Interviews with experts and lively writing deliver the accurate reporting you expect from Time For Kids^®. Historical and contemporary photographs capture the life and times of this remarkable Olympic-medal winner.