Eyes on the Goal

by John Coy

Jackson, Gig, Isaac, and Diego share a strong interest in sports. In the spring,... read more

Jackson, Gig, Isaac, and Diego share a strong interest in sports. In the spring, they were all members of the same baseball team. Now about to enter sixth grade, the friends head off to a week at summer soccer camp. Of the four, only Diego has a background in soccer, and he’s placed in a group with other skilled players their age. Despite his lack of experience, Gig’s natural athleticism puts him in the same section, but both Jackson and Isaac are embarrassed to be slotted with players a year younger. Jackson is frustrated that he seems to have little talent for the sport—it’s so hard not to use his hands. He’s also interested in Diego’s cousin—another soccer star—and must cope with his first crush as well as an unsettling nighttime encounter with a possible ghost. As the week passes, Jackson is challenged to improve his game and remain good friends with his buddies, despite flaring tempers and bruised egos. The four boys introduced in Top of the Order (Feiwel and Friends, 2009) emerge from soccer camp with their friendship intact, ready for middle school and, presumably, a fall sport, as the “4 for 4” series continues. (Ages 9–12)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2011

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