Scott Riley

Recommended Ages: Gr. 2-5

Plot Summary: Prasit Hemmin and his friends were obsessed with soccer, sometimes watching it on the only tv on the entire island.
But even better than watching was playing. Prasit was eager for the spring tides twice a month because it meant that there was a sandbar in his island town to play soccer. Frustrated that he and his friends couldn't play soccer more often because everything they lived is on stilts over the water, they finally had the idea to make a floating field. Without plans, he and his friends gathered old wood and styrofoam and built a field. Townspeople thought they were strange, but they loved being able to play soccer anytime they wanted, instead of just twice a month. It wasn't easy -- there were nails sticking out to avoid and they had to jump into the water to get the ball when it went out of bounds, but they got so good at playing around the nails. Seeing a competition on the mainland, their town rallied together to get the team new jerseys and cleats. At the tournament, the boys did really well, until the semi-finals when it started raining hard. Will they

Setting: 1986, Koh Panyee, Thailand

Characters:

Recurring Themes: determination, invention, problem-solving, rummaging, building, fishing, Muslim, pride, ignoring naysayers

Controversial Issues:

Personal Thoughts: Ok first, I have to admit that I didn't know there was a large Muslim population in Thailand. I'm glad I learned that. Next, this book is well written with fabulous illustrations showing the emotions, camaraderie, and support during this true experience.

Genre: narrative non-fiction

Pacing: fast
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