The Soccer Star

Billie B Brown #2

by Sally Rippin

Billie wants to play soccer, but the boys at school won’t let her. How can Billie prove that girls can play soccer, too?

Genres: Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction

23 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Sally Rippin was born in Darwin, but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. As a young adult she lived in China for three years, studying traditional Chinese painting. Sally has over seventy books published, many of them award-winning, including two novels for young adults. Her most recent work includes the highly acclaimed children’s novel Angel Creek and the popular Billie B Brown books, which became the highest selling series for 6-8 year olds in Australia within the first year of their release. Sally is Australia’s highest selling female author and her Billie B Brown books have sold more than 4.5 million copies in 14 languages.
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Sally is a popular presenter in schools and at literary festivals both in Australia and overseas and has a regular program on 3RRR interviewing children’s authors and industry professionals. She is a passionate ambassador for the 100 Story Building creative writing centre for marginalized youth and has mentored many emerging writers and illustrators. Recently, she and her partner co-founded Story Peddlers, a hand-made performance tent that packs away into a custom-built bike, with the aim of bringing back the art of the roving storyteller.

Reviews

[Katt Hansen]

The phrase "Soccer is for boys" is thrown around a lot. What's disturbing is how the other girls in the class seem to accept this as truth. Thankfully there's Billie B. Brown to show them the way. Really love her line at the end of the book - that's Billie B. to the core!

[Leslie]

Billie and Jack are best friends but a problem arises when the boys ask Jack to play soccer but won't let Billie because she is a girl. She can't even help to build the soccer diorama in class because she is a girl. Billie is able to overcome being mad, cross, sad and her jumbled tummy by being brave and getting Jack to help her become a super soccer star.

Simple early chapter book with a clear lesson to stand up for yourself...although the idea of needing to trick the other boys into recognizing her skill is questionable.

Realistic
Ages 5+

[Harper]

I liked the part where she was pretending to be a boy.

[Megan]

The boys in her class say that girls can't play soccer, but the next day Jack says there is a new boy in the other team but the new boy is Billie! And she makes her hair look like a boy and she wears Jack's red sun hat to make it look like she's a boy. And she can run super dooper fast because she's really good at running and she's really good at soccer so she's a soccer star. And at the end Jack and the other kids on the team ask Billie, "Who are you?" and she says, "I'm Billie! See girls CAN play soccer!"

[Sean Harding]

Second book in the Billie B Brown series and she agains charms us with the descriptions of her emotions, negative, positive and neutral and the story charms us with the clear message of not letting gender stereotypes and bias hold you back, but even above that don't ruin your friendships over small things. A good read.

[Pam]

2nd in the series.
Billie B. is back for another adventure. This time she takes on the foolish idea that soccer is only a boys' sport. I wish this had happened earlier in the story and that the other girls in her class were not so stereotyped, but Billie proves her point in a magnificent manner toward the end. The larger font is perfect for lower to mid elementary level readers.

[Room5 Literacy]

This book is 7+. Its about Billie B Brown. Her and her best friend Jack see other friend sam. He says girls cant play soccer. But billie loves soccer and jack does to. Jack goes to go play with sam and the boys. How does billie feel they do everything together. What is Billie going to do?...

[Kylie O'Grady]

Great book

I enjoyed it. And you are clever. I like the series l wish you could make more books in the series

[Keren]

I'd

[Stephanie]

Izzy’s favorite character was Billie. Her favorite part was when Billie took off her hat and said that she was fast.

[Laurel Pate]

Girls can do anything boys can do!!

[Alessandra Daly]

If you’re a girl doesn’t mean that you can’t play soccer. Girls and boys can do whatever they would like.

[Amelia Mason]

Soccer star. I thought the boys can only play soccer But I Was wrong so I Read the book and then I think girls can also play soccer And I was kind of funny😂

[Kara]

Day #5 of reading to my outdoor guinea pigs. Billie B. Brown is out here defeating misogynistic stereotypes one soccer match at a time

[Kalilah]

I am compelled to read this series to my niece whenever I'm baby-sitting her.

[Hazel Avery]

Girls can play soccer, too! Billie has proven it!

[Vanessa]

Some of the boys at school dont believe girls can play soccer but Billie shows them and rocks their mindset

[Andy Hickman]

2-Sally Rippin, “Billie B Brown: The Soccer Star” (​​Prahran, Victoria, Aust: Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010).
“'Girls can't play soccer,' Sam says. Billie has never heard of such a silly thing. 'Rubbish,' she says.” (p7-8)

The 'Billie B Brown' series by Australian author Sally Rippin is a wonderful set of books helping young kids acknowledge and deal with their range of emotions that arise from various childhood predicaments. These books reinforce the positive outcome of good decision making.

[Niamh Griffin]

Jack and Billie are best. They have lots of fun doing everything until one day the boys decide to leave Billie out, because she's a girl. Together Jack and Billie figure out a solution to the problem. Billie is brave and clever. A clever tale that challenges gender stereotypes and where the characters have to figure out their emotions and what their emotions are telling them.

[Gervy]

My 5 yo daughter really enjoyed this, but reading it to her actually made me uncomfortable. I am trying to avoid the idea that there are "girl sports" and "boy sports" but even though this book was meant to undermine that concept, I think it really reinforces it along the way.

[Alexis Munk]

The Billie B. Brown books are very relatable for elementary school students. The classic, "you can't do it because you're a girl" is a very common thing for younger children to say. This book shows that girls can do most things that boys can do. It's a great transitional book.