The Dream Team: Jaz Santos vs. the World (The Dream Team, 1)

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Her greatest goal in life is to play for England but for now she has to get through Year 6, while everything in her life is going wrong. but some wise words along the way help Jaz to understand that life’s circumstances do not have to define her, and her own personal successes and failures don’t have to be tied up with the things in life that are simply beyond her control. The team wants to enter a girls tournament but is up against sports misogyny in their own school, difficult teachers, and no initial funding. We find her blaming herself for the troubles at home and feeling responsible for some adults’ incompetence. It shows a team of girls who care about each other and support each other, despite their many differences.

Thinking carefully about how to sell the idea to her classmates, Jaz pours heart and soul into rallying a team of girls to prepare for the tournament.She has been in trouble at school, kicked out of dance club and is dealing with the growing cracks in her parents’ relationship, culminating in a house fire and her mum eventually moving out.

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. Overall the book has a nice story to it whilst also tackling or touching upon a few tough issues: bullying, sexism and parents splitting. Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Not my all times favourites, as I didn't really vibe with the MC and she was narrating everything, but nice nonetheless. The villain isn’t simply evil, there are reasons for their actions just like Jaz has reasons for hers.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. 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!

Perhaps by winning the tournament, she can not only prove that girls have got game, but also convince her parents to be happy together again. However, the story didn’t feel especially memorable, the levels of serendipity are overwhelming even for a middle-grade, and the majority of the characters (excluding Jaz herself) were two-dimensional at best. By presenting complex concepts like mutual aid and self-organisation in much simpler terms that are relatable to children, Mante highlights the importance of community in a world that attempts to deny women and girls opportunities. Determined to fix everything, she creates her own girl’s football team to be the star her mum always wanted.This is a really important lesson in learning to put yourself in other people’s shoes and for children to try to understand each other better. Serious issues are explored with sensitivity and humour, creating a funny, moving and uplifting tale. Jaz Santos isn’t the most graceful dancer and she’s always getting into trouble at school, but the one thing she loves more than anything else is playing football.

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. After spotting a flyer for a local girls’ football tournament, Jaz convinces a group of her classmates to form a team and enter the competition. The story itself is pleasant enough, and there are some great, age-appropriate explorations of sexism—such as Jaz’s school giving all their sports budget to the boys’ team with nothing for the girls, the boys’ coach refusing to help train the girls, and the boys themselves not wanting to share training spaces.

The football team she forms is also full of amazing characters and I cannot wait to read more from The Dream Team series. And of course, the message that girls can do anything is an absolutely great one, and I loved seeing the Bramrock Stars proving girls can play football too. She faces many challenges including lack of funding and difficulty accessing resources for training, but she is determined to see her new team succeed. This is the first in the author's new 'Dream Team' series and future books will each focus on another of Jaz's friends.