Stealing the Score
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
The World Cup is coming to town!
Soccer superfans Ethan, Sasha, and Mateo are thrilled that the biggest sporting event in the world is coming to their backyard. When a contest offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend the World Cup is announced, they are all ready to do whatever it takes to win. To do so, they must complete a scavenger hunt throughout Miami to find a replica pair of the lucky cleats worn by their favorite player, El Botín (or The Boot).
Best friends Ethan, a competitive soccer player, and Sasha, an online footy gamer, are wary of privileged soccer influencer Mateo at first. But they can't seem to stop crossing paths with him, and reluctantly join forces. What starts as a strictly strategic alliance to solve the scavenger hunt clues takes a turn when El Botín's real cleats go missing. The fate of the whole tournament could be in jeopardy-unless the new friends can uncover the truth!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two best friends' relationship and their love for soccer are put to the test in this spirited caper by Liu (Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation). When they learn about an international scavenger hunt to find a replica pair of boots worn by their favorite AC Miami club player, Venezuelan star El Botín, besties Ethan and Sasha dedicate themselves to cracking the clues. But their social media star classmate Mateo—whose father works for the club—is also participating. Sasha's suggestion that they team up, and Ethan's disparaging response, drives a wedge between the duo. News articles peppered among Ethan, Sasha, and Mateo's alternating third-person chapters chronicle a parallel plot about El Botín: following the theft of his lucky shoes, his performance during subsequent matches is disastrous. Then other prominent players have their lucky talismans—and, seemingly, their athletic abilities—stolen, prompting a worldwide soccer crisis, which descends into further chaos when El Botín himself goes missing. Though things are still tense between Ethan and Sasha, they team up with Mateo to track down both El Botín and his lucky boots in time for the upcoming World Cup. Action-oriented prose weaves a complex mystery that celebrates "the beautiful game," as well as the life-changing connections and experiences the sport can foster. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 8–12.
