The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field

Recommended Ages: Gr. 2-5

Plot Summary: Prasit Hemmin and his friends were obsessed with soccer, sometimes watching it on the only tv on the entire island.
But even better than watching was playing. Prasit was eager for the spring tides twice a month because it meant that there was a sandbar in his island town to play soccer. Frustrated that he and his friends couldn't play soccer more often because everything they lived is on stilts over the water, they finally had the idea to make a floating field. Without plans, he and his friends gathered old wood and styrofoam and built a field. Townspeople thought they were strange, but they loved being able to play soccer anytime they wanted, instead of just twice a month. It wasn't easy -- there show more were nails sticking out to avoid and they had to jump into the water to get the ball when it went out of bounds, but they got so good at playing around the nails. Seeing a competition on the mainland, their town rallied together to get the team new jerseys and cleats. At the tournament, the boys did really well, until the semi-finals when it started raining hard. Will they

Setting: 1986, Koh Panyee, Thailand

Characters:

Recurring Themes: determination, invention, problem-solving, rummaging, building, fishing, Muslim, pride, ignoring naysayers

Controversial Issues:

Personal Thoughts: Ok first, I have to admit that I didn't know there was a large Muslim population in Thailand. I'm glad I learned that. Next, this book is well written with fabulous illustrations showing the emotions, camaraderie, and support during this true experience.

Genre: narrative non-fiction

Pacing: fast
Characters:
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: show less

What an incredible story! Not just for soccer fans, either: This is plain good storytelling. Kids will love reading about the ingenuity of the Thai boys who live on the water and build their own field from scratch. They play barefoot and have to dive to retrieve stray balls, but (spoiler alert!) nevertheless reach finals in the big tournament. The ending is super satisfying and all the better for being true. Librarians and teachers - put this one on your list!

Floating Field is a true story about a group of boys that lived in a floating village. They loved playing soccer so much, but had no room to play unless the tide was extremely low, low enough to expose a sandbar in the sea that they could run around on. The boys got the ingenious idea to build a field that floated using extra materials from their village. The boys ended up creating a team and competing with other teams on land. This is a really inspirational story about perseverance and fun.

Based on a true story, the book tells how a group of boys in the Thai island village of Koh Panyee built a floating soccer field from scrap materials so they could play their favorite sport.
Despite early setbacks like the ball falling into the water, the boys' perseverance led them to form a strong team and eventually compete successfully on the mainland.

This is an amazing story of boys who wanted a soccer field and built one on the ocean. They didn’t let anyone stop them and eventually became champions in the sport they loved so much. This true story is well told and the information in the back expands on the story rather than retell it. It is well done and a great read at any age.

Grade Level: 2-5

Summary: This book is a true story of a group of boys in Thailand who dreamed of playing soccer and built their own floating field when they had no space on land. They then enter a soccer tournament on the mainland and they persevere and come in third place.

Classroom Use: As a future educator, I can use this book to talk about creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving.

This book is about a group of young Thai boys who love soccer and build a floating field. This book would be good for K-3 because it shows how a group of kids were inventive and creative. This book could be used as a read a loud to showcase a piece of history but also to show how we can overcome and problem solve as well.