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

Product Information

Determined to fix everything, she creates her own girl’s football team to be the star her mum always wanted. Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. I related to many of Jaz’s worries, like the nagging feeling we’re not good enough or that we are responsible for other peoples’ emotions.

The six other girls she recruits for her soccer/football team are unique, all with their own ways of handling things. Ultimately, Jaz’s story is about structural injustices and written for girls who worry that they will be judged not for their talent and hard work but for who they are. I believe this was a debut, so maybe in the future this aspect will get better; I don't think I will be reading the other books in this companion series, but I really believe there's room for improvement.I am distinctly not a fan of football, so I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this, but I was so pleased to find that I had an absolutely excellent time meeting Jaz and her friends. There are quite a few characters in the book, which makes it hard to get to grips with them all, but they’ll be more-fully explored in other books in “The Dream Team” series. The villain isn’t simply evil, there are reasons for their actions just like Jaz has reasons for hers.

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!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. Our main character Jaz has a fantastic set of friends and it was so entertaining reading about their journey to becoming a proper team; sleepovers and pizza making included!