Goal Power
Reviewed by Kaleigh McGregor-Bales

Author: Mandy Cross
Publisher: Element

Date of publication: 1999

Goal Power is a book about 12 girls who formed a soccer team. They are Holly, Della, Denise, Cassie, Antonella, Nina, Rebecca, Jenny, Mel, Vickie, Chrissie, and Bev. They joined a soccer league. They picked the "Amazon Villas" as their team name because it wasn't a prissy name. The story takes place in England and it uses lots of British slang words, like "prissy".

They started out the season as a pretty weak team. They lost their first game 13 ­ 0.

The story is pretty much about how they improved all season long. The reason the Amazons improved so much is they worked hard, and Holly's dad started to coach them.

He played on a professional soccer team in England, but had to retire because he injured his knee, so he had some time to coach.

There are two halfs in the book ­ just like in a soccer game. The first half is all about Holly and the Amazon Villas. The second half is all about the 1999 Womens World Cup.

The page numbers in the book are inside little soccer balls. There are lots of descriptions about soccer formations (4-4-2 and 4-3,3 and 3,5,2) and tactics.

The story ends with a soccer tournament on Easter weekend. The winner of the tournament gets sent on a trip to the Unites States to watch the Women's World Cup. If you read the book you will find out if the Amazons win or not.

So if you like soccer and you are looking for a good book to read, you should read Goal Power.