Soccerology: Supercool Facts You Never Knew

Gr 4-7–Opening with an overview of ancient, soccerlike games and moving through early English versions, beginning in the eighth century with a bloody contest involving a sheep’s bladder stuffed with feathers, Sylvester brings us to what we know as association football, or soccer, codified in 1863 with the formation of the Football Association. The treatment is expansive, including history of the women’s game, African and Asian participation in the World Cup, referees, and the gendered pay gap, as well as history of the ball, equipment, stadiums, and even a reference to Madison Hammond of the OL Reign, the first Indigenous woman to play professionally in 2020. Small green soccer balls appear throughout the text, calling attention to relevant fun facts, such as that the world’s oldest club is Sheffield FC, formed in 1857. The desultory format lends itself equally to reading through as an overview of the game or for dipping in for factoids and shorter narratives. Off-beat cartoons and vibrant illustrations break up and complement the text.