• Age: 10 to 13
• Grade: 5 to 8
• Reading age: 10 to 13

Gavin and his friends Mido and Critter are starting high school this year, which means moving from a school with a championship-winning soccer team to a school that doesn't have a team at all. With a little encouragement from his friends and granddad, a former "footballer" from England, Gavin musters up his courage and makes a deal with the school football coach -- he agrees to let the soccer team share the field while the football team practices, but Gavin will be responsible for running the team. With a newbie team made up of misfits and kids just out to have a good time, Gavin soon learns that being a good coach isn't the same as being a good player.

TREVOR KEW is an English teacher and regular contributor to the soccer magazine Free Kick. He is also the author of several Lorimer Sports Stories soccer novels. Trading Goals was shortlisted for Japan's Sakura Medal and Playing Favourites is a Junior Library Guild selection.

www.trevorkew.com

Trevor Kew's profile page

• Commended, A Junior Library Guild Selection
• Commended, Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection

"with authentic real-life situations and realistic soccer scenes, Playing Favourites stands well as a story of friendship and sportsmanship." Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"This is a perfect novel for youth with an interest in soccer...it does a perfect job at getting sports fans interested in reading." Rated G, good, even great at times

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"Gavin and his mates start high school and are dismayed to discover that the entire soccer program has been dropped. With permission but no help from the football coach, they organize a squad themselves. There are all kinds of issues: Gavin's profound lack of coaching skills, the incompetence of various teammates or their refusal to be team players, cheating opponents, and seemingly blind officials. The soccer action is truncated to highlights and lows, but there are enough of both to please the most rabid fans, as the team goes from zero to hero in classic Bad News Bears fashion."

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