My First Soccer Book

Gr 1–4—Surrounded by attractive, action-packed photographs, Gifford's narrative covers basic skills, such as passing and shooting, as well as rules and regulations. This book has a larger font and an easier text than the author's Kingfisher Book of Soccer Skills (2012), which is for older players. Diagrams for items such as a simple field are clearly delineated and labeled. Equipment and uniforms are given a full spread, while text boxes provide additional tidbits of information. One fine example is the explanation of different types of cleats for a variety of fields. Both boys and girls, who are the age of the intended readers, are portrayed scoring on and defending the goal. A short section on famous players is included, but readers will need to look elsewhere for more information on specific professionals. Even though there is a plethora of soccer books each season, this updated guide will refresh aging collections.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA