Reading Metrics
Description
"The Real Thing" by Tom Palmer is about a youth soccer team (United's under-12s) traveling to Poland for a tournament. The main characters include Tomasz, who is excited to be playing in his home country, and Ryan, the team captain who believes Poland and everything Polish is inferior. Ryan's negative attitude toward Poland causes problems for the team on and off the field. The book deals with themes of prejudice and cultural misunderstanding through the story of a youth soccer competition.
Quick Summary
A Polish soccer tournament becomes the setting for a clash between teammates when the team captain's rude behavior toward Poland creates problems on and off the field. Young readers will cheer as Tomasz proves that being respectful and standing up for yourself can turn a rival into a teammate while experiencing the thrill of competitive youth soccer. If your kid loves books about kids playing sports and learning important lessons about friendship, they will root for this under-12 team. With a 3.7 AR level and 14,806 words, this is perfect for kids ages 6-9 in grades 1-3.