A fútbol phenom struggles through a summer of tremendous change both on the field and at home in Yamile Saied Méndez's empowering, emotional The Beautiful Game.
Valeria Salomón is no "delicate flower." Vale, who plays for the two-time Utah State Cup-winning soccer team, the Overlords, and is the only girl in the league, is so skilled and plays so hard she has earned the nickname "Magic." But the 12-year-old is booted from her team after a flubbed match and a family emergency coincide with her first period. She lands with the Amazons, an equally elite girls squad. Vale has "proved [she] can play with the best of the boys. Now, can [she] use those skills to play with the best of the girls?" Despite emotional clashes with her Abuelo and repeated setbacks with her new peers, Vale puts in the work and becomes a true team player.
Méndez, winner of the Pura Belpré Award for Furia, crafts an impassioned story that features complex familial relationships and tender adolescent growth spurred by adaptability. Vale relatably struggles to define herself as a daughter and teammate, which her femininity further complicates: "I didn't hate being a girl, woman, or whatever. I just hated how the world treated me for being one." Méndez depicts acceptance of menstruation and annoyance at misogyny throughout, and her approachable writing soars when describing fútbol. Vale should find fans in readers of competitive soccer stories like Christie Matheson's Select as well as the Méndez-edited, period-positive collection Calling the Moon. A win for anyone who knows playing like a girl is a true compliment. --Kit Ballenger, youth librarian, Help Your Shelf