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Nine-year-old Ben is playing on his first real soccer team, and the action is fast and competitive. As the season gets under way his team, the Bobcats, struggle to learn the game. The biggest hurdle is to overcome the rivalries within their own team and learn to play together. As they gain skills and knowledge, they quickly become one of the best teams in the Kickers League. The race for the playoffs grows increasingly exciting as the series unfolds.

    The first two books in the series: Ball Hogs, Fake Out, and Benched have already been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. The fourth book, Game-Day Jitters, will complete the series later this year.

    All four books include black-and-white illustrations, league statistics, and soccer tips.

“Like his friend and Bobcat teammate Erin, Ben has never played soccer before, but he enjoys the practices and learns fast. However, he doesn’t enjoy playing with Mark, whose big mouth and inflated ego make him easy to dislike. Their animosity spills over onto the four-square court at recess before they begin to see the value of passing in soccer and (no coincidence) the Bobcats begin to score goals. A good sports story for younger readers, this beginning chapter book balances bits of information about playing the game with realistic scenes on the field, at home, and at school. An effective subplot portrays Ben’s shifting emotions and ethical dilemma after a friend is excluded from their regular four-square group.”

                                                                               --Booklist

“Fake Out begins where the Ball Hogs leaves off, starting mid-action. Ben’s interest in the game becomes an obsession. He mopes and barks at family and friends when they lose. The players practice fancy footwork and look toward the playoffs, and Ben gradually understands the importance of focus and inner strength. Each book closes with a list of practical soccer tips. Holder’s simple sketches complement the straightforward narration.”

                                                                     --Kirkus Reviews

“This is a brand new series from sports novelist Wallace for a much younger audience featuring lively black and white art, friendship, teamwork, and most of all, SOCCER! These books follow nine-year-old Ben as he joins the Bobcats, a coed fourth-grade soccer team and learns about sports and life.”  

                                                                                    --Random Acts of Reading

Purchase Kickers Fake Out Now:

Amazon     Borders     Independent bookstores     Toadstool     The Blue Marble

Purchase Kickers Ball Hogs Now:

Amazon     Borders     Independent bookstores     Toadstool     The Blue Marble

As the season moves toward its conclusion, Ben knows that the Bobcats must keep winning to earn a spot in the playoffs. But in their game against the Tigers, the Bobcats are a mess on the field—they’re not passing well at all—and Ben decides to take control. Someone has to win this thing, and his teammates just aren’t measuring up. Then the whistle blasts, the red card waves, and Ben is out—benched for dangerous moves. Not only that, he’s barred from the next game, too—a key bout against the Rabbits. How can he possibly help his team to the play-offs from the sidelines?