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With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online. They also have to learn how to play as an actual team before they can think of playing well at the tournament. I gazed up at the luminous purple stars on my white ceiling and wished hard that I could be like one of them.
However there are too many characters to get a real sense of who is who here and some quite stereotypical while the plot fairly predictable but I would still read on. Our main character Jaz has a fantastic set of friends and it was so entertaining reading about their journey to becoming a proper team; sleepovers and pizza making included! This scene highlights the importance of representation in helping young girls dream big and change the ingrained limitations we unconsciously place on ourselves. This timely and heart-warming story about teamwork, self-belief and following your passions in the face of life’s up and downs is likely to score big with readers aged 8-11. I mention all these profound takeaways but want to emphasise that the story is not too heavy handed, simply a cracking good middle grade romp, with relatable characters across generations portraying some of the heart-aching challenges they face and the heart-warming support that they show one another.Perhaps by winning the tournament, she can not only prove that girls have got game, but also convince her parents to be happy together again. Determined to fix everything, she creates her own girl's football team to be the star her mum always wanted. For example, there is zero funding and resources for the girl’s football team because all the money is invested in the boys’ team.
Mante tackles difficult emotions and serious issues like family problems and sexism in simple, relatable situations for children. Ultimately, Jaz’s story is about structural injustices and written for girls who worry that they will be judged not for their talent and hard work but for who they are.I think Jaz’s wonderfully distinctive and fun narrative voice was probably my biggest highlight here, because I just loved the way she saw the world and all her nicknames for people and I got so frustrated alongside her when people just kept misunderstanding her. What didn't work so well for me (but these are minor): some clumsy similes, not going into enough detail earlier on to explain why the other girls get into football or how they become any good at it, an ending that was a little too neat and sweet, the rather obvious underdog sports plot, some other MG tropes. Spotting a flyer in a library for a Brighton Girls Under-11s Seven-a-Side Football Tournament she forms a team, Bramrock Stars, which is her escape really. It is vital that children understand how to learn from their mistakes but also learn that each student must be treated and valued equally.