...
‘Soccer Squad’ is a children’s book series written by British writer Bali Rai. He has masterfully described the transition of kids from childhood to early adulthood and their strong emotions and passions towards football. ‘Starting Eleven’ is the pilot book of the series, which is intended ... Read review
Advantages: Very enjoyable storyline, some intense football moments, excellent characterization of young kids. Disadvantages: Very addictive.
.../>
Soccer world: Starting Eleven is a children’s book which revolves around the four young kids and their passion and dedication towards the game of Football. Though, it also covers their daily life activities and thoughts towards different things and how these kids explore different social situations and how they handle them.
The main character Dal is a British born Indian descendant who is quiet, shy and a thoughtful ... ...always tries to keep things peaceful and reduces the small tension and misunderstandings between his friends.He is very tolerant and kind towards other people, despite being bullied and insulted by those big kids on the football ground, he kept it quiet and he always avoids troubles. He is passionate about football and a great fan of Liverpool FC. He becomes a bit animated and annoyed when his class-mates are teasing about his favourite football ... more
It is very difficult for 10 year old kids to accept defeat and to understand the hardest facts of human life that not everything is achievable; we can only try our best. Kids, who grow up in a family where they are used to getting everything given to them, find it difficult to cope in the outside world. Bali Rai has vividly presented this universal truth about life in such an excellent way in his book.
‘Soccer Squad’ is a children’s book series written by British writer Bali Rai. He has masterfully described the transition of kids from childhood to early adulthood and their strong emotions and passions towards football. ‘Starting Eleven’ is the pilot book of the series, which is intended for 7+ years’. It basically revolves around daily life and the thoughts of four young lads and their dream of playing in a local football club named Rushton Red. Football is the main theme of this book series and it is actually a symbol of strong passion and emotion that four kids share and really care about. In this book we can experience their emotional ups and downs based on their ambition.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
• Daljit Singh aka Dal - 10 year old school boy and son of Mr. Singh, Main protagonist of the story and he narrates the story at times. • Chris - Best mate of Dal and he is a die-hard fan of Liverpool FC. • Abs - Class-mate and good friend of Dal. They play football in the Local Park together and he is a strong supporter of Manchester United Football club. • Jason -Another class mate and good friend of Dal who is a Chelsea supporter.
PLOT OUTLINE
The story opens with Dal who is about to leave for Rushton Juniors (a local school also known as Rushie) after having an enjoyable summer holiday. He then introduces the readers with his best friend Chris a quirky and funny boy who has known Dal from a very early age and considers him as his brother.Both Dal and Chris are die-hard fans of Liverpool FC football club and have a dream of playing for Rushton Reds under-elevens Football team which is run by the local youth club.Abs and Jason are their classmates and they also love to play football. They all play football in the local park and really want to play for Rushton Reds. They are really excited for the upcoming trial session. So the story tells us how they perform in their trial session, it also tells us about those exciting trial matches before the final selection of the team. All these matches are really enjoyable and are full of electrifying moments. So, will these four kids make it to the final selection? Will they be able to perform good enough to play for the final eleven? And can they beat those evil big boys? (They are big bullies and constantly harass them for no reason). To find out the answers you need to read this exciting and highly enjoyable book. I can guarantee that, you will not regret reading it.
PERSONAL THOUGHT
Soccer world: Starting Eleven is a children’s book which revolves around the four young kids and their passion and dedication towards the game of Football. Though, it also covers their daily life activities and thoughts towards different things and how these kids explore different social situations and how they handle them.
The main character Dal is a British born Indian descendant who is quiet, shy and a thoughtful person. He believes in friendship and values the relationship. He always tries to keep things peaceful and reduces the small tension and misunderstandings between his friends.He is very tolerant and kind towards other people, despite being bullied and insulted by those big kids on the football ground, he kept it quiet and he always avoids troubles. He is passionate about football and a great fan of Liverpool FC. He becomes a bit animated and annoyed when his class-mates are teasing about his favourite football team, but he always tries to make his points and concerns in the most polite and respectful way.
Chris is the best-friend of Dal; they both grow together and share everything with each other. Chris is a bit sarcastic but he is a kind hearted boy. In every occasion, we find Chris stands up for his best friend Dal. He always tries to stick with Dal no matter what happens and it shows that he really cares for Dal. Despite being a totally different race and culture, both of them share a really meaningful and deep friendship. Writer Bali Rai has presented their friendship in a vibrant and divine way. You can most certainly feel the warmth and graceful feeling towards their friendship. Sometimes Chris jokes around with Dal, but he always tries to make it simple and general so he does not to hurt or offend Dal. I just love the character of Chris; he shows the meaning and value of a true friend.
Both Abs and Jason are Dal’s classmates and good friend. Abs is an intelligent kid and always jokes around; he and Jason always have friendly banter going on between them, but in reality they are good friends and care for each other. Jason is socially uncomfortable and often finds himself in awkward situations in front of others. Though Dal and Chris try to cover for him and make him more comfortable, still he always feels uneasy and nervous. He is a kind kid a good football player. He is also passionate about the game and often teases his friends.
Abs often uses some funny terms to describe someone he dislikes, such as he was annoyed at the manager of Chelsea and called him “Cabbage-faced glory hunter.” In another occasion when Abs was really frustrated at his team mates and wanted to let his anger out he said “Yeah, but we’ve got some right potatoes playing for us.” Abs is really a funny and smart character, and he always out-witted others with his unique one-liners. I really enjoyed his presence throughout the read.
~~GIRLS and GIRLS ~~
As a ten year old kid, Dal often has unusual thoughts about girls and their different behaviours. Jas and Veronica who are best friends are the sisters of Chris and Dal they both attend the same school. Both of them are fourteen, they like to wear makeup and are always talking about boys. Dal finds them rather annoying and very weird.
There are a few girls in Dal’s class, Dal always finds them boring and also mysterious, and especially one girl Lily Jones who always teases Dal and jokes around with him. He is always nervous and awkward in front of her. Lily also plays football for a local club; eventually both Dal and Lily become good friends in the course of time. Writer portraits the character of Dal as a common 10 year old school boy who prefers to play football rather than fool around with girls. That is why he is always a bit shy and awkward in front of girls and often finds himself in a very uncomfortable position.
~~FOOTBALL MATCHES~~
All four boys are really interested and eager to play for the local under eleven football club Rushton Reds. They always practice and prepare themselves for the trial and team selection.
Bali Rai has described some classic football match moments, he has depicted all those moments and situations masterfully. It is always exciting and so lively that I actually felt like I was watching the match. This shows that the author is very passionate and has a strong and in-depth knowledge of the game. This reflects in his writing and you certainly will be amazed and also tense in certain moments and really want to read more to find out about the results.
~~FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP~~
Mr. Singh, father of Dal is a very kind and intelligent person, he always cares about his son and teaches him to be patient and remain calm under pressure. One conversation really impressed me and I really find it deep and meaningful. Dal: I’m nervous. Mr. Singh: You’ll be fine. Just do your best-you can’t do more than that.
Here we can see a positive and courageous father who tries to cheer up his son and make him feel confident about the trial in the football club. As a son Dal always admire his father’s positive mentality and kindness. Every time Dal finds himself in trouble, he remembers about his father and tries to gather courage and beat the difficulties that he faces. Author illustrates this father-son relationship in such a beautiful way that the reader definitely feels connected towards them.
FINAL THOUGHT AND RECOMMENDATION
Author Bali Rai did a fantastic job here, he depicts the psychological world of young and tender kids in such a lively and impressive way you are definitely going to see the reflection of your childhood from one of the children’s characters. Innocent thoughts, kiddie quests, friendship and social awkwardness all of them have been presented in such a resourceful way that simply deserves an honest appreciation. Bravo Mr. Rai, you did a grand job writing this book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This is a perfect story book for 7+ and it is suitable for reading aloud by parents to share a happy and joyful family moment together.
I highly recommend this book, It’s a really enjoyable read and certainly worth your time and effort.
AVAILABILITY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This book was first published in 2008 and at present it is available from Amazon for £4.49. This book contains 112 pages with a colourful cover and nice illustrations throughout the book. ISBN: 978-1-862-30654-7 Publisher: www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk
Thank you very much for reading my review and I really hope you enjoy reading this fantastic book.
