Young Pele: Soccer's First Star

I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. First, the illustrations in it were clear and relatable. For example, page three shows a picture of the main character named Edson daydreaming in school with him looking off into the distance of big equations and boys playing soccer. Everyone who has gone to school can relate to this in their own way. It was very evident of everything that was going on throughout the book because of the details in the illustrations. Another reason I enjoyed reading this book was because of its message of a true story of following your dreams and passions. Edson Pele had to overcome several odds to become a world-renown soccer player, which is a lesson all people can learn from. He grew up in poverty but show more still accomplished to do what he loved, which was playing soccer, in any way he could. He did so mainly by kicking a rolled-up sock filled with rags around the streets where he lived. This book instills a sense of passion in a human and drive to do whatever he or she wants to do in life. Overall, it is a lovely book I was happy to read and recommend to anyone else. show less

I enjoyed this book. I had never heard about this awesome young star, so I loved learning about a successful child prodigy! I really enjoyed the language the author used in the book. One of my favorite parts was when the author explain Edson day dreaming in class about scoring a goal. She put this paragraph in italics so the audience knew it was a thought. I can imagine reading that paragraph with enthusiasm to a group of young students! I also enjoyed the illustrations. They look like they were composed with paint. The very first page is a beautifully designed forrest with rich colors that automatically draw the audience in. The overall message of this story is to never give up on your dreams.

This was a very interesting book about the early life of the soccer player who came to be called Pele'. While it was great that it shows how young Edson (Pele's actual name) overcame economic hardships and being a struggling student to become a famous soccer player, There were a number of things I really didn't like about the book. I did not like at all how Edson's teachers treated him, and I'm not sure that the treatment, which in my estimation qualifies as child abuse, is appropriate for a children's book. This is particularly the case where the abuse is not dealt with. It seems like it was used for expositional "color." I also am not a excited about how they chose to include that Edson basically dropped out of school, suffering no show more repercussions from his family. These might be true facets of who Pele' was, but they felt like they were just thrown in, and no lasting results of this, if there were any were addressed. The Perma-bound School Library website lists it with a reading level: 5.0 and interest level: P-2 I'm not sure I agree with that. The reading level seems about on point, however, I think the interest level would go well beyond 2nd grade. I don't think I would be using this book in my class. show less

This informational picture book tells the inspiring story of how a young man overcame great adversity to become one of the greatest soccer players of all time. As a child, Edson Arantes do Nascimento struggled in school and spent most of his time daydreaming about soccer. His socioeconomic status left him and his friends playing soccer shoeless, but his skills on the field could not be denied. His friends gave him the nickname Pelé and the rest is history.

This book is a great biography for a younger audience and for those who have a particular love of soccer. Historically, it shows the giant divide between social classes in early twentieth century Brazil. Pelé and his friends played soccer shoeless and with a ball made of rags. They show more played against teams who had sponsors and great coaches, but they won in local matches and garnered enough attention to become widely known in their native country. This book could open children's eyes to the different situations facing other children in the world and make them understand the hardships and eventual triumphs of people who work hard to better themselves.

Like other nonfiction/fiction hybrids, I would argue that this book blurs that line. I think it accurately portrays Pelé's
adverse childhood, however it adds little quotes and ideas that help the narrative but couldn't be proven such as the anecdotes about his friends, family, and school life. It's chronological organization and clear sentence structure is easy to follow. The accompanying water color images are beautifully done and add to the emotion of the narrative. In particular, the images of Pelé's face convey the intimidation and eventual triumph of the young man.

I don't believe this book would be appropriate for the secondary level, but Pelé's story could be discussed when I talk about South American cultures in the twentieth century particularly Brazil. His story is even more relevant with the next Olympics taking place in Brazil. His story and his talent forever changed soccer in the twentieth century, and his childhood could inspire other children who live in similar situations. show less

Overall this was a good biography. The main message of this book is to inform students about the famous soccer player, Pele. It also teaches children never to give up on their dreams. I really loved how the illustrator included his thoughts in the picture. For example, Pele was thinking about soccer scores while his classmates were thinking about math facts so in the picture there are random numbers and subtraction facts around him. This was a really unique way to illustrate what Pele is thinking. I also liked how the book was not only a biography but also talked about his family. For example Pele explains the role of his mother and father. This helps students understand the dynamics of an African American family and how they may be show more similar and/or different to their own. The one thing I wasn't too fond of is the lengthy text. I feel like the author could have done a better job separating it into different paragraphs and even different pages. This may make it easier for children to follow along and comprehend. Overall, this was an enjoyable biography. show less

I liked this book for two reasons. Those reasons are the way it is written and the illustrations used. The big message of this book is that no matter how hard or impossible something may seem never give up on your dreams. Young Pelé began with nothing more than a ball of rags for a soccer ball and played with no shoes on his feet. Yet, he never gave up and he persevered to become the greatest soccer player of all time.
The writing in this book is clear and concise so it is easy for young readers to follow. Also the story is written in a way that flows with the reader and keeps them interested and entertained as it tells the tale of soccer’s true first star Pelé. The writing in this book is also quite action packed especially the show more descriptions used during the youth tournament soccer match for Pelé’s team. For example, “he bears down; he drives a kick to the right. The ball hits the goalpost, spins back, and flies through the goalie’s hands, straight into-Gooooooaaalllll!” This use of action verbs and the relation to the illustration keeps the reader excited to see what is going to happen next. This technique is helpful in keeping younger readers focused on the story as they feel they are a part of it.
The illustrations used in this book are fantastic and fit perfectly with the written text to give the reader better perspective on the events unfolding. The illustrations are large and detailed focusing much of their attention on how Pelé is feeling and using facial expressions in the illustrations to emphasize those feelings. This technique helps younger readers to identify with the main character as well as giving them an inside look to what he is experiencing. For example, following the text “He stared straight ahead at the chalkboard as his teacher spoke, but his mind was miles away” there is an illustration of young Pelé with just a slight smile on his face and an otherwise blank expression showing that while he is physically in class his mind is somewhere else entirely. Also the illustration of the youth soccer game is well drawn out and creates a scene of action as the reader reads the text and feels like they are watching the game live. These illustrations in combination with the great writing in this book make it a great choice for young readers because it will keep them entertained and focused while telling a true story. show less

This book portrays Pele, the greatest soccer player to ever live, as a child. It shows the challenges he had to overcome to simply play the game he loved, and i believe that this book can teach some great life lessons about following your dreams, despite it not being completely true about his life. I recommend this book to any child who has a dream, but feels like they do not have the sources necessary to go after those dreams