Vootball Kid

Megs and the Vootball* Kids has been sitting on my son’s shelf begging to be read by a seven-year-old sports fanatic. Sport begins on my bedroom door every morning with the thump of a tennis ball or downball, continues in the playground in the form of a football, soccer or basketball game and resumes in my parent’s backyard as a cricket match nearly every day. A ball is my son’s constant companion. It makes sense that he would want to read a book about soccer. After all, his dad is English!

This junior novel deals with the issues of being the new kid on the block and finding your niche in a foreign country. It explains the basics of soccer and sheds light on Megs’ nickname. It also looks at remorse and effective ways to apologise. Both adult-to-child and child-to-child friendships are explored and parallels can be drawn with the movie Goodwill Hunting and the discovery of a genius school janitor.

I like to read junior novels for my book-writing course while noting ones that suit my son’s interests. Books that will sustain his thirst for reading and generate discussion are ideal. He took to Roald Dahl’s books easily. The vengeful Mr. Wonka with his sorry end for Augustus Gloop and Veruka Salt , four elderly adults top and tailing in a bed, and the magic of a chocolate river, were a great combination for a bedtime story.

I believe my son may also take a shine to Megs and the Vootball Kids, written by Neil Montagna Wallace from Bounce Books and assisted by Mark Schwarzer. If he does, there are two more books published in the series that follow the adventures of Megs, Paloma, Atti and the rest of the ‘vootball’ gang.

Typical of me, I am remotely connected to the author because we rented Neil’s brother’s house for three years and got to know his parents who popped in now and again and updated me on the book and the characters that resemble some of their family members. It’s great to see that it has become such a hit with young readers and parents alike.

No doubt the windows won’t be safe in our home when our son tries to do a Megs, but it’s a well-rounded story that teaches children about respecting all cultures and age groups and enjoying sport.

I rate this 8.5 out of 10 and you don’t have to love sport to read it. A sports nut kid would probably give it 10!

* Vootball – plays on the accent of Atti pronouncing football