β Scribed by Dirk Mclean
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
When Ozzie's parents disappeared from their home in Nigeria, he and his sister Rebecca were taken to an orphanage. Two years later, they have been adopted by Canadian parents and live in ethnically diverse Scarborough. With no soccer program in their school, Ozzie and the other Nigerian kids compete with a team of Syrian refugees β led by Victor β for time on the field. Ozzie has come to hate change, but an exhibition match between Ozzie United and Victor United has Ozzie taking charge of his team, while worrying that a job offer his mom receives might mean his whole family has to leave Scarborough for good.
The soccer match is such a success that Ozzie and Victor are asked to unite their teams into a single force to challenge the division champions. A school soccer program for all the students is on the line. Can Ozzie tackle change head-on by teaming up with Victor to make two groups of resilient refugees into one team? And how can it be worth it if he has to leave his school anyway?
This book is the second of a new set of novels about soccer teams of young refugees who have escaped war-torn areas of the world and moved to Canada.
**
Gr 6β9βThe exceptional new series "Soccer United" explores the lives of soccer players who are refugees from around the world. Ozzie unites his team of Nigerian players with a rival team of refugees, all of whom are from Syria, in Team Fugee. Victor discovers how to be a successful team captain in Tournament Fugee during a tournament between Syrian refugee teams across Canada. Dylan's father has recently passed away in Golden Goal, and he must learn how to adjust to a less privileged life and make friends with his new, culturally diverse teammates. In Golden Game, Abbas confronts his post-traumatic stress disorder from Syria and fear of flying to participate in a soccer tournament across the country. While each entry stands alone, readers will enjoy seeing characters and plots reappear throughout the series. Written at a third grade reading level, plots are action-packed and rich with insights into various cultures. VERDICT "Soccer United" stands apart for discussing the modern refugee crisis and the difficulties of resettlement for middle school readers.
"In addition to soccer and family, this slim volume touches on many topics, including physical disabilities, literacy challenges, adoption, orphans, civil war, racial profiling, and Black Canadian historyβ¦good for a novel study for a group of reluctant readers..." (Ruth McMahon, Librarian, CM: Canadian Review of Materials 2017-09-29)
"The plot moved along well, and had lots of side plots that made the book more interesting. The adult characters were all very understanding and worked well with the kids, teaching them (and the reader) without being condescending and preachy. Would Recommend." (Margaret Burris, Reviewer, NetGalley 2017-10-14)
"I enjoyed the bookβ¦4/5 Stars. " (Odessa Wilson , Reviewer, NetGalley 2017-10-18)
"This was such a great book and my class was so excited about this book and told their friends and family about it! ... What an empowering book!" (Trully Sunee, NetGalley Review 2017-12-06)
"It pairs nicely with Tournament Fugee ... there will definitely be students who will like this series." (Kathie MacIsaac, Librarian, NetGalley Review 2017-12-29)
"Team Fugee was something I didn't know we needed, but we did." (Noa S. NetGalley Reviewer 2018-04-30)
"Team Fugee is an interesting book about kids that have to uproot themselves and move from Africa to Canada as orphans, who must adapt to so many changes." (Candy Robosky NetGalley Reviewer 2018-06-29)
Soccer stories -- Juvenile fiction
π SIMILAR VOLUMES
A talented thirteen-year-old goalkeeper, Victor Bayazid, is asked to join and captain a soccer team, the GTA Gazelles, to compete in the "Thank You, Canada" tournament. The tournament brings together teams of Syrian refugees from across the country to play in Vancouver. But Victor is haunted by memo
*Who is the master and who is the slave?* *Fugue* takes the brave reader into the dungeon playroom of a master and his boy. It's the kind of place where darkness skitters into corners, hiding in shadows where the walls disappear. A boy is chained to the pipes along the ceiling. Hooded, he can o
*Who is the master and who is the slave?* *Fugue* takes the brave reader into the dungeon playroom of a master and his boy. It's the kind of place where darkness skitters into corners, hiding in shadows where the walls disappear. A boy is chained to the pipes along the ceiling. Hooded, he can o
"Brian Evenson is one of the treasures of American story writing, a true successor both to the generation of Coover, Barthelme, Hawkes and Co., but also to Edgar Allen Poe."--**Jonathan Lethem** "Brian Evenson is one of my favorite writers. The stories in this collection will thrill, unsettle, and