• Age: 10 to 13
• Grade: 4 to 8
• Reading age: 7 to 10

Toby's always had a weight issues, thanks in part to the free food his team gets from his friend Maddie's dad's restaurant and their soccer team's sponsor, Vinnie's. But Vinnie's sponsorship also provides the kids with team shirts, equipment, even cleats for some of the players. So when a city-wide ban is placed on sponsorship of teams by companies that promote unhealthy eating, many of the kids might not be able to play. Can the kids of Brunswick Valley come up with a way to keep their team going and still stay on the right side of the ban?

A former elementary school principal, school district consultant, teacher and journalist, in England, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick, Robert Rayner now spends his time writing and teaching music. He is the author of three adult novels, nine young adult novels, and three teen novels. His stories have been shortlisted for the Ann Connor Brimer Children’s Literature Prize and (four times) for the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award, and five of them have been included in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre annual ‘Best Books’ list. He lives on the Magaguadavic River in St. George, New Brunswick.

Robert Rayner's profile page

"This timely theme [weight control will surely be hotly debated among readers. No less interesting and controversial is the issue of cutting team members based on talent versus encouraging everyone to play and get healthy.

Middle school students, especially those struggling to read, will enjoy this short novel written at grade 3.5 level."

Resource Links

Larger libraries looking for more soccer stories may want this.

Booklist Online (US)