Soccerland

Soccerland

“One day I’m going to play for the U.S. Women’s National Team.” That’s what Flora Dupre promised her mom, before her mom died of cancer. Flora and her mom had created a place called Soccerland, an escape world where they went and just talked soccer. And now Flora’s dream of playing for the U.S.A. might be coming true. Flora’s received the invitation of a lifetime: the chance to try out for the Under-15 U.S. Girls’ Soccer Team, an opportunity that could put Flora on the road to making her dream a reality and reaching the real “Soccerland.” But when Flora arrives at the International Sports Academy, the level of talent there is like nothing she’s ever seen before. Flora struggles to hold her own, grappling with new positions on the pitch, injuries, a frustrating coach, and contempt from other players. But Flora is a big, strong Dupre girl―and she’s not going to go down easy. The author of Soccerland has donated this book to the Worldreader program. Beth Choat has been a sports journalist for nearly two decades. She has written for Sports Illustrated for Kids and was a staff journalist for Sports Illustrated , ABC Sports , and three Olympic Committees. She was raised in the Adirondack Mountains and now lives in Las Vegas with her family.