About the Author

Bob Temple lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with his wife and three children. He has written more than thirty books for children. Over the years, he has coached more than twenty kids’ soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. He also loves visiting classrooms to talk about his writing.

 

About the Illustrator

When Sean Tiffany was growing up, he lived on a small island off the coast of Maine. Every day, from sixth grade until he graduated from high school, he had to take a boat to get to school. When Sean isn’t working on his art, he works on a multimedia project called “OilCan Drive,” which combines music and art. He has a pet cactus named Jim.

 

Glossary

competition (kom-puh-TISH-uhn)—a contest, or a situation in which two or more people all want the same thing

fundamentals (fuhn-duh-MEN-tuhlz)—basic and necessary skills

gloat (GLOHT)—to show happiness that someone else has failed

penalty kick (PEN-uhl-tee KIK)—in soccer, an extra shot awarded against a team that has committed an offense

position (puh-ZISH-uhn)—the role assigned to a player

rebound (REE-bound)—to bounce the ball back into play

scrimmage (SKRIM-ij)—a game played for practice

 

More About Soccer Positions

A soccer team is made up of eleven players: forwards, midfielders, defenders, and a goalkeeper.

The forwards are responsible for most of the team’s scoring. Since they play in front of the rest of the team, they can take the most shots.

Midfielders play directly behind the forwards. They help with ball control and passing.

The defenders are next in line. They keep the other team’s players from scoring.

Finally, the goalkeeper prevents shots from crossing the goal line.

 

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Ryan acted the way he did when he first got to the new school?

2. Berk could have made Ryan look bad by letting other teams get good shots on him. Instead, Berk tried his best to protect Ryan. Why?

3. Coach Davis offered Berk a chance to be the goalkeeper again. Why do you think Berk felt funny about that?

 

Writing Prompts

1. At the beginning of the book, Berk faced a situation in which the game was up to him. Write about a time when you had a lot of pressure on you, and how you handled it.

2. Have you ever been replaced by someone else, like Berk was? Write about how that felt.

3. At the end of the book, Berk did something to help out Ryan. Write about a time when you helped someone achieve something great.

 

Other Books By Jake Maddox

Hannah and Brian have the run of Snowstream, a cool winter resort. But a new kid, Zach, starts a boys-only snowboard cross team. What will Brian do when he’s forced to choose between Hannah and snowboarding?

Best friends Carlos and Ricky race all the time, but when their bikes are sabotaged before a major race, they can’t trust each other. They’ll have to band together to figure out who’s pulling a double-cross.

 

Internet Sites

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