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March 15, 2023
Twelve-year-old Alex is plainspoken, protective of 7-year-old sister Belle, and passionate about soccer. She began playing microsoccer at age 5 on the local rec center team where her coach, Jayda, a Black woman, encourages every player, and she has continued to approach the game with determination, learning to bend a corner kick into the net, and topping 1,300 juggles. When Alex's financially struggling single mother, who is dismissive of Jayda, is approached by Coach Austin, a smarmy assumed White man who instantly impresses her, she agrees to move Alex to the San Francisco Select Superior girls' team. As a result Alex's relationship with the game she has loved for years is threatened. Some of the changes will be familiar for readers who have played youth sports. The select team is well funded, and the privileged players don't seem to have Alex's challenges (she uses public transportation and must help care for Belle). The level of play is exhilarating even though Coach Austin proves to be disrespectful and dismissive of the girls he's coaching. Alex also notices that he treats women coaches and refs with contempt. Her strong sense of justice prevails over his bullying in a believable confrontation and resolution. Matheson's descriptions of game play are convincing and entertaining, and her voice for Alex is appealing, honest, and assured. Characters default to White, and while some racial diversity is introduced, its impact on the dynamics is unfortunately not clearly explored. A tale of terrific girl power and athleticism. (Fiction. 9-13)

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March 13, 2023
Matheson (Shelter) channels her coaching experience into this quickly paced, empowering contemporary novel about girls’ soccer and self-advocacy. Twelve-year-old Alex, who cues as white, feels ambivalent when she’s recruited out of her beloved rec league soccer team and into San Francisco Select Superior, a competitive travel team that opens up opportunities for national-level recognition and college scholarships. While her compassionate former coach Jayda, who is Black, encouraged good sportsmanship and team efforts, white Coach Austin demands decisive victories and harsh, even abusive exercises, and suggests that his guidance will make the team “stop playing like girls.” Tenacious Alex navigates the Bay Area transit system on her own to get to games and often solely cares for her seven-year-old sister, Belle, while their people-pleasing mother is distracted by a demanding boyfriend and excessive work hours. As Alex’s lifelong love of the game begins to falter, she confronts hard dilemmas involving injustice, sexism, and what it means to be part of a team. A compressed but emotionally satisfying end caps off Alex’s straightforward first-person narrative, which exudes resilience and hope. The soccer game descriptions are brisk and informative, accessible to newcomers to the sport. Context clues suggest racial diversity among Alex’s teammates. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.