Max the Golden Boot
Page 8
I’m sure we all wished for the same thing.
Wide and Wider
Everyone in the Wild Soccer Bunch has a nickname. After the Ashburn game, Zoe came up with mine: “Max the Golden Boot.” I loved it immediately for obvious reasons, and so did the rest of the bunch. When I told it to my father, he beamed with pride for a week.
The break had begun, and we had two weeks left to the championship game. We spent those two weeks on our pitch, all day, every day.
At the break, I told my teammates about Ms. Witching and my escape from afterschool care and went on to tell them about the convenience store owner who kept getting his ear pulled. And the cab driver who ran a red light trying to get to Zanzibar. Everyone laughed so hard we couldn’t go back to practice.
I got to hear all about their win against the Unbeatables, about practice down by the lake, about being grounded, and about the game against the Furies. I heard about the fight for Camelot, about the Graffiti Towers, and about the birthday tournament and Zoe’s high-heeled shoes.
We became friends. Especially Kevin and I. Danny, on the other hand, still seemed to be bothered by something. He pulled back and seemed real angry whenever I looked at Zoe.
I think he liked her smile as much as I did. Or maybe he admired something else—like the extra-wide tire on her mountain bike.
Believe it or not, that’s what it was. One morning, he flew in on his bike and drove circles around Zoe, showing off. We couldn’t believe it. Danny had bought a new back tire, even wider than Zoe’s.
At first, everyone laughed. But then only two days later, three more wild guys showed up with wide back tires. The idea caught on like wildfire. In the end, everyone had a wide tire. Everyone except Kevin, Tyler, myself, and Roger.
Let me clarify that. Roger the hero, well, he outdid us all. Two days before break was over, he came racing down the hill on his mountain bike.
We saw him coming and when he hit the bottom we thought he had lost control. The front wheel came up, and he rode into the Devil’s Pit with a full-on wheelie. That’s because his rear tire was a tractor tire!
Zoe almost died laughing. The rest of us were embarrassed. We realized what that wide tire show-off contest was all about. We were all just trying to impress her. I guess we were growing up a little. But even so, Roger still didn’t get what all the hubbub was about. He also didn’t understand why we all thanked him. And even though, in the end, he was the only one who kept his new tire, Roger the hero had shown us just how silly we could be. But more importantly, he had once again saved the Wild Soccer Bunch.
JOACHIM MASANNEK
Joachim was born in 1960 and studied German and Philosophy in college. He also studied at the University of Film and Television and worked as a camera operator, set designer, and screenwriter in films and television.
His children’s book series The Wild Soccer Bunch has been published in 28 countries. As the screenwriter and director of the five The Wild Soccer Bunch movies, Joachim has managed to bring about nine million viewers into the theatres. He was the coach of the real Wild Bunch Soccer team and the father of two of the players, Marlon (Tyler) and Leon (Kevin).
JAN BIRCK
Jan was born in 1963 and is an illustrator, animation artist, art director, and cartoonist. Jan designs the Wild Soccer Bunch merchandising with Joachim. Jan lives in Munich with his wife, Mumi, and his soccer-playing sons, Timo and Finn.
THE OPENING OF A GREAT SERIES! GET IT NOW!
When the last of the snow has finally melted, soccer season starts!
Kevin the Star Striker and the Wild Soccer Bunch rush to their field. They have found that Mickey the bulldozer and his gang, the Unbeatables, have taken over. Kevin and his friends challenge the Unbeatables to the biggest game of their lives.
Can the Wild Soccer Bunch defeat the Unbeatables, or will they lose their field of dreams forever? Can they do what no team has done before?
BOOK 2 OF THE BEST-SELLING SERIES! GET IT NOW!
Fabio, the son of a famous Brazilian soccer player, wants to join the Wild Soccer Bunch. But Fabio’s father has other plans. He makes his son play for the Furies, one of the best youth club teams in the country. The Wild Soccer Bunch is devastated, but Diego has a plan. He turns the Wild Soccer Bunch into a club team and challenges the Furies to a game! Can the Wild Soccer Bunch survive the game? Can their friendship endure the test?
BOOK 3 IS HERE! GET IT NOW!
Zoe is 10 and soccer crazy. She spends each day dreaming of becoming the first woman to play for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Her dad believes in her dream, and encourages her to join the Wild Soccer Bunch. Even though Zoe would be the only girl on the team, she knows she could be their best player. But the Wild Bunch is not open-minded when it comes to welcoming new teammates, especially when they are girls …
Zoe’s dad has a plan. He organizes a birthday tournament and invites the Wild Bunch. They present Zoe with a pair of red high heels, expecting her to make a fool of herself during the tournament. Zoe gladly accepts her gift. She wears the heels during the biggest game of her life, and proves that she’s got what it takes to be a wild, winning member of the Wild Soccer Bunch.
READ BOOK 4! GET IT NOW!
Julian Fort Knox, the all-in-one defender, is searching for his father who left one day and never returned. Along the way, Julian runs into Mickey the bulldozer and his gang, and when they close in for the attack, the Wild Soccer Bunch is right there to help. One for all and all for one! The Unbeatables decide to challenge them to a rematch—an all-or-nothing “Match for Camelot.” Sure, the Wild Soccer Bunch beat them once, but can they do it again?
COMING SOON!
Roger feels that his teammates no longer want him. Surrounded by talented players, he feels like a fish-out-of-water. Sure, the Wild Soccer Bunch is competing now at the highest level, but Roger is sick of being criticized and warming the bench.
Coach Larry steps in and tells Roger to seek advice from the great soccer players of the past who are gathering for a friendly game at Soldier’s Field on New Year’s Eve.
The unimaginable happens. The greatest soccer players of all time invite Roger to play with them; a game that will change his life forever.
The Flea - The Amazing Story of Leo Messi
By Michael Part
The captivating story of soccer legend Lionel Messi, from his first touch at age five in the streets of Rosario, Argentina, to his first goal on the Camp Nou pitch in Barcelona, Spain. The Flea tells the amazing story of a boy who was born to play the beautiful game and destined to become the world’s greatest soccer player. The best-selling book by Michael Part is a must read for every soccer fan!
Ages 9 and up