3.5 stars. The story of not just a soccer team of refugees from around the world in America, but also of a small town's reaction to the refugee resettlement. ( )

Outstanding storytelling in this nonfiction book for young readers. Does a great job weaving the life experiences of the boys together with Luma's life. I felt like the incident with Luma's arrest was left unresolved -- did she ever find out why she was pulled over? Was it just profiling? It certainly seemed to be. Altogether an incredibly inspiring story about an individual's ability to make a huge positive change in the world. ( )

This book is fantastic. A great piece of journalism about immigration in America. A great story about young boys growing up. A great exploration about the greatest game on earth (soccer)! ( )

This book documents the lives of a youth soccer team made up of refugees, their female coach, and the southern American town in the process of becoming a resettlement center. Epilogue, Contact Resources.

Eye-opening story dealing with refugee life in America, told primarily by following a youth soccer team in Georgia. By following the soccer games of the boys, we're introduced to the hardships faced by the mix of refugee boys and their families from war torn nations around the world. Many of the boys have lost a father or other family member to war or terror in their former countries, and have to deal with being displaced, learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, often in an inhospitable environment. The volunteer soccer coach, also an immigrant, is an admirable character who overcomes unwelcoming elements of the town and its leaders, as well as her own difficult background to help the boys learn and adapt to their new life in America. Not all the boys succeed, but enough do to keep the book more uplifting than depressing.
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