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It was quite predictable that there would be this one thing the main character is bad at but it's the thing that makes them win the match. While the book was written for children ages eight and up, there are many gems or quotes that I, an adult woman, needed to be reminded of. Jaz’s mum, from Angola, and her father, from Scotland, no longer get on – and when her mum nearly burns the house down, her parents decide it is time for Mum to move out.
There’s more on her mind too - Jaz loves football and often plays with the boys at lunchtimes, but is excluded from the school team because girls are not allowed to play. Some of the other girls have no interest in the sport before Jaz recruits them to the team, but the story shows how beneficial the opportunity to join in is for them each in different ways. Themes like forging friendships, facing bullies, having family troubles, and dreaming big--Jaz Santos vs the World has all those and in such an accessible way.From fundraising to training, Jaz leaves no stone unturned - with her passionate hopes of proving that girls can be taken seriously in football matched only by her desire to get mum back. Spotting a flyer in a library for a Brighton Girls Under-11s Seven-a-Side Football Tournament she forms a team, Bramrock Stars, which is her escape really. The excitement when my feet made contact with the ball to dribble or kick, the spark that shot through me as I ran down the wings, and the pride when the ball rolled past the posts. This story has lovely overall themes of trying your hardest, kindness, friendship and never giving up. This book teaches children to follow their dreams no matter what life can throw at them, a heartfelt book that sends out an inspiring message!
While this isn’t a book that is likely to become a new classic, Sophie would still recommend it to young readers, especially sports fans, and she still plans to pick up the next book in the series to see how the Bamrock Stars story continues. A really interesting read about a story of friendship, football and family as well as the problems family’s go through.I didn’t play sports as a child for similar reasons to Jaz and I wish I had a friend like her who encouraged everyone to give it a try and do their best.
I love the way this book handles each of these different aspects of jazz’s life and doesn’t leave anything unresolved.This timely and heart-warming story about teamwork, self-belief and following your passions in the face of life’s up and downs is likely to score big with readers aged 8-11. Also by the end of the book Jaz is facing up to her fears and realising that when things go wrong around her, it isn’t her fault. It is also about learning to self-regulate emotionally and navigating traumatic situations, like your family breaking up. Mante shows that young girls need support and belief from the adults around them, as well as belief in themselves, to excel. The plot overall was a pretty standard sports fiction plot, with the addition of some other themes, but I don't think they were handled particularly well.
Why would six girls, none of whom were football-mad like me, agree to be in a team that didn’t exist yet? Boys’ and girls’ football is treated completely differently, regardless of the level it’s played at, and this stems from sexist ideas about what girls can and can’t do as well as boys can. It also shows adults that having honest conversations with your children and reminding them of how proud you are of them, is hugely important for their mental well being and can ease some of the pressures they are placing on themselves.Mante tackles difficult emotions and serious issues like family problems and sexism in simple, relatable situations for children. I’m not a football fan but I still loved this book, ‘Jaz Santos vs the World’ is a wonderfully warm, inclusive story about friendship, teamwork and family. This is the first in the author's new 'Dream Team' series and future books will each focus on another of Jaz's friends.
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