The Million Dollar Kick

Million Dollar #2

by Dan Gutman

Whisper Nelson hates sports--all sports--with a passion! So when by a fluke she wins a chance to kick a goal past a professional soccer star for a million-dollar prize, she is torn. Should she try it and risk humiliation, or just forget the whole thing and save what dignity she has left? But the Million Dollar Kick might be Whisper's big chance not only to win a million dollars, but to regain confidence in herself.

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Juvenile, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

The author of over 80 books in a little over a decade of writing, Dan Gutman has written on topics from computers to baseball. Beginning his freelance career as a nonfiction author dealing mostly with sports for adults and young readers, Gutman has concentrated on juvenile fiction since 1995. His most popular titles include the time-travel sports book Honus and Me and its sequels, and a clutch of baseball books, including The Green Monster from Left Field. From hopeful and very youthful presidential candidates to stunt men, nothing is off limits in Gutman's fertile imagination. As he noted on his author Web site, since writing his first novel, They Came from Centerfield, in 1994, he has been hooked on fiction. "It was fun to write, kids loved it, and I discovered how incredibly rewarding it is to take a blank page and turn it into a WORLD."

Gutman was born in New York City in 1955, but moved to Newark, New Jersey the following year and spent his youth there.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable but enjoyable listening. Dan Gutman writes a satisfying, straightforward middle grade story. When Whisper gets a chance to make the million dollar kick, she tries to find anyway to escape the challenge of it and the attention it brings. But it turns out a challenge is just what she needs. I loved the way her newfound mentors help her realize middle school insecurities aren’t going to define her forever. She eventually steps up to the challenge, as we all knew she would.

We all had THOUGHTS about the silly ending but we had a good listening experience (though none of my kids are eager to listen to the other book in the series.)

[Samuel Ansani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Million Dollar Shot is a great book and I encourage you to read it. The author is Dam Gutman, and if you read any of his previous books you would love this one. Have you ever been bad at a sport and then got really good at it. In this book Whisper started off scoring goals against her own team to scoring goals for her team with her eyes closed. The main character Whisper lives in Oklahoma City, and she is terrible at sports. One time in a soccer game she scored on her own goal and everyone made fun of her. When she is faced with a contest to win a million dollars just by writing a poem for the Oklahoma City Kickers nothing will stop her. Except when she has to score a goal on a professional goalkeeper. She decides to take the shot but will she make it or just get made fun of again.
Some conflict in this book is character v.s. self. At first Whisper didn’t know if she should accept the contest. And she is conflicted, her parents told her that she shouldn’t take the offer because they didn’t believe in her. But she believed that she could learn how to play soccer so she took the offer. An example of character v.s. character conflict is when Whisper gets bullied at school for not being able to play sports. This is character v.s. character because there is verbal communication that made Whisper feel hurt.
I personally liked this book because I was in her position once and I can relate to the main character. I also really enjoy sports and books written by Dan Gutman. I think all kids ranged from 10-13 would enjoy this book. And boys and girls could read this book. I also recommend this book to people playing a sport like soccer that are struggling. This book can show you that not everyone is perfect at sports. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. All of the events in this book can happen in real life. If your looking for a book to read, this book is great. Will Whisper make the million dollar shot? Read the book to find out.

[Jarrett M]

Book review
The book I read is called The million-dollar kick by Dan Gutman. The Lexile is 660 for this book. This is the story of a girl who doesn't like sports. She played soccer when she was younger and scored in the wrong goal so she quit. Her sister was good at all sports. one day they saw a thing where if you scored a goal on carmen Applegate win 1000000 Dollars. Her sister Brianna wanted to do it. But she couldn't and she so then whisper did it the person who hates sports.
Don't give up keep trying. Because when she missed the goal when she was a kid she stopped playing soccer. I said don't give up because she stopped playing. But she started practicing because she one the kick and she had 6 months to practice. And she got really good and the coach asked her to be on the team next year. Because she didn't give up when her legs were sore she kept doing it then she could do more and more. She didn't give up everybody was bullying her and she still did the kick. The other girls promised they wouldn't help but somebody did.
I liked this book because it shows how she quit. Then she started practicing and was getting better and better. The book was pretty easy but I do recommend the book to you. I like the ending because it is even the goalie hit it but the ball bounced off her and went straight into the goal. My favorite part was when she was kicking it she thought it was a good kick but she blocked it. But as she was walking off. The goalie was making signals goalie jumped the line rekick. Whisper didn't know about that but the pro players all got her back. And she kicked again that is when she kicked it and it hit the goalies back and bounced in. I hope you will read the book and like it like me.

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Whisper and the nightmare that every soccer player has: scoring in the wrong goal; it wasn't a nightmare for Whisper it was reality. After getting made fun of and putting herself down she wins the chance to make a million dollars if she can just score one goal in front of a lot of people. Will she make the goal or choke under the pressure?

[Joanna Marie B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was read this book many years ago in elementary school and then I decided to read it back in middle school. Each time I couldn’t remember the ending, so I decided to read it now in its entirety. What I can say is, I do remember the goalie being swapped out for Whisper’s coach but not what happened next. Overall, it was an okay book. 🥅 ⚽️

[Catherine Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It is well written with a surprise ending. I would recommend it for any youngster - or for an adult who loves a fun quick read. I didn't realize it was part of a series until after I read it so I can't speak for the series (yet).

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excerpt -- On the Preteen Years
There's a world of difference between the ages of ten and thirteen. I know from experience. When I was little, I was perky and enthusiastic about everything all the time, too.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining kid's book. I liked this one better than 'The Million Dollar Shot' but maybe that's because we read it first and the plots were much the same.

[Nate]

They go left

[Yasmine Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever wonder if you could be good at a sport that you really hate? Well this is the fiction book " The Million Dollar Kick ". I thought this book was really good ♥.

This was all based in Oklahoma City. Briana wanted to apply for the Million Dollar Kick contest but she was too young to be in it. So her older sister Whisper Nelson put her name down to be in it. Then Whisper started to go through rough problems and ended up still doing the Million Dollar Kick. The problem was Whisper never liked the sport Soccer. Whisper Nelson wasnt a very active person , she was more of a loner type.

I was suprised by the ending of who the goalie ended up being because something bad happened to the original goalie of the Million Dollar Kick. Whisper Nelson's motiviation of doing this Kick was her sister Briana , parents , and her coach Ellie. I was angry about how the original goalie Carmen Applegate lied to Whisper so she wouldnt try her best to make the kick. Whisper Nelson changed all cause of soccer , she is more active. I thought the ending of the book was good and fair.

I was suprised at who was the goalie at the end because there was a ternando that happened in Oklahoma City that Carmen Applegate got seriously hurt in so she needed a replacment goalie for the Kick and it was Ellie the coach of Whisper to prepare her for the Kick. Whisper motivation was her parents, her sister Briana , and her coach Ellie because she actually wanted to impress her parents and Briana would encourage her by teaching her how to kick and never give up like her coach Ellie would. I was upset how Carmen Applegate lied to Whisper to not to the Kick because she said if she missed blocking the Kick she would get fired and have the no money to feed her kids . . . which she had no kids. Whisper changed all cause of soccer she is more active and feels more good about herself that she could be good at something in life.

I really did enjoy this book ♥. I give this book a 10 out of 10 in rating because it was a very intresting book. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about friendship wise books. Sometimes in life we get a chance to do something we dont like to do but at the end its worth every second you wasted ~ .

[Anthony Juarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

****SPOILER ALERT****If you had a chance to win a million dollars, would you take them? Well this book is for you. The genre is fiction.
When Briana gets straight A+'s in her report card, Whisper Nelson has to take Briana to Donut City. Once reaching Donut City, Briana and Whisper enter a contest to win a million dollars. The contestant had to score a penalty shot against the worlds best goalie, Carmen Applegate. But Whisper doesn't like sports. She HATES sports. Briana insisted to enter. 2 weeks later, they won the contest. Whisper has to practice for the shot. She hires Ellie Gonzales to be her coach. While they train, Carmen Applegate has been spying on Whisper. The last day of the shot, Carmen Applegate has been injured in a tornado. Whisper thinks the contest will be postpone, but no the contest go's on. Whisper goes to the soccer field. There she finds a surprise. Ellie Gonzales is the GOALIE! Ellie says that she's been trying to call Whisper, but their was no answer. When Whisper takes her shot, Ellie blocks it. But there is a catch, Ellie jumped before the line and Whisper has to redo the kick. When Whisper takes her second shot......... She makes it in.
A major event that changed Whisper is when she won the contest. Whisper used to hate sports, but when she won the contest, Whisper liked sports like soccer. The author builds suspense by adding paragraphs like this is one way how the story could end and another way, and this kept me in suspense. Whisper's motivation is Ellie because she keeps telling Whisper to never quit and keep trying. The tittle relates to the book by how the contest is about a million dollar kick.
I was surprised when Whisper made the shot and won a million dollar's. I would like to win a million dollar's just by shooting a penalty shot. My favorite part is when Ellie motivates Ellie and Whisper never gives up. I was also surprised when Carmen Applegate was spying on Whisper.
I would rate this book 5 stars because i like the way how the author keeps us in suspense and how he elaborates. I would recommend this book to all the soccer fans and people who would want to get a million dollars. So if someone has a chance to win a million dollars, I would suggest to try VERY HARD!!!

[Miss Donnamaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title of the Book-he Million Dollar Kick
Author of the book-Dan Gutman
name - Emely Morales
date-10/11/13
period- 4 and 5
During summer time as my summer reading homework i read the book called The Million Dollar Kick.It was about a girl named Whisper Nelson, she was bad at everything, she even hated sports.But one day she goes to Donut City and joins the Million Dollar Kick Contest.
Read the book to find out if Whisper wins the contest.
My opinion is that i think the book was so fun i liked it a lot.I think this because it made one laugh and made me feel different types of emotions most of the time.
Finally, i would recommend this book to grades 5 and up or people who are level around R because its so intersting seeing all the obsticals Whisper has to go through, it makes you feel like your in the book, great description it makes you want to read more.

























This book is basically about a girl named after Whisper.Whisper is a kind of girl that hates sports.She has a huge opportunity to win a million dollars.The thing is though that she has to make a kick but the goalie is going to be the best goalie in town.This books setting takes place in Donut City.Whisper really wants to win the money but she is not sure if she can do that.But in order to do that her sister is a tomboy so she has to teach Whisper how to play soccer.Would Whisper be able to win the dollars or not?I think is was a really good book. First of all I think it is a good book because it was interesting and funny and also had really good description.This author really put his effort in the book and tried to make it the best possible it can be.Yes, I would recommend this book because it was a really funny and interesting book.

Name Pooja Patel Date 10/11/13 Period 7
The Title of the Book Million Dollar Kick
Author Dan Gutman
Genre fiction
Number of pages 208

[Chimeechonga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was mainly about a girl named Whisper Nelson practicing to take a MILLION DOLLAR KICK on a professional goalie. In the story Whisper and her sister go to a donut shop. While they're there She enters a contest. The winner gets a shot on a pro goalie (she wins). If she scores she gets 1 million dollars. If not she gets a year supply of doughnuts. so she can't really lose. Once she receives the call telling her that she won she doesn't know if she should be happy or sad.
Its all because well;she sucks at soccer. When she was around 5years old she scored her first goal. the only problem was that it was on her own goal.Now her and her trainer,Ellie Gonzales, have to make Whisper good enough to kick one past a professional goalie from eighteen yards out.
(Read the book to see if she scores)

[Angie Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gutman, Dan. The Million Dollar Kick.
Rating:***
Summary: Whisper is a seventh grade girl, who does not like sports. She had a bad expereince in third grade and has not played any sports since then. She enters a contest at a doughnut shop and wins. Her prize could be one million dollars if she makes a goal past a professional goalie. There is a twist in the end. Does she make the goal for the money or end up with a year supply of doughnuts.

Main characters:
Whisper is a thirteen year old girl who likes to do more typical things a teenager does like spend time with her friends.
Ellie is coaching Whisper. Ellie takes Whisper from a girl who is not into sports into someone with determination and positive mind set about the entire situation.

Key issues: Vaules, friends and friendships, character

[Ixchel Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whisper Nelson hates sports especially soccer because of the incident she had in third grade. In her first soccer game she scored a goal but for the other team. She entered this contest and the lucky person gets to meet the goalie of the Oklahoma City Kick and she will get to kick a penalty kick against the goalie. She will do whatever it takes to score that goal and win a million dollars. I think I will recommend this book to kids 10 and up who are interested in sports especially soccer because it is mostly about that sport. I would really like to read some other sport books written by Dan Gutman. But some chapters were related to other chapters in the book. Overall I thought it was a really good book that shows that you should never give up on things in life because you may not know that you are good at it.

[Mucho arici]

This was a book i read over the summer.Its about a soccer story and the main character is Whisper Nelson.She is a young girl who hates all sports but from a professional soccer star she gets an oppurtunity to contribute on a million dollar shot competition.
It was something new for her and she wanted to discover something that she will never forget so she practices herself to accomplish in the tournament and at the end she achives.One of the things i learned from this book was that even if a person doesnt enjoy playing sports you could always give a shot of trying and testing yourself and make good of.I would recommend this book to people who does not have taste of sports beacause this book shows tips on how to achieve that goal if something happens like that.

[emily horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Million Dollar Kick by Dan Gutman is a great story. Whisper is a young girl who beyond HATES sports, but she gets the chance to win one million dollars with one kick! She has to make a choice to kick to soccer ball past a professional soccer player in the goal and win one million dollars or just not even try cause she doesn't know how to play soccer and doesn't like the sport. Whisper has a big choice to make, but in the end she is risking humiliation to win one million dollars! She practices and practices till the big day comes. Whisper tries her hardest to get the ball in the net and in the end she ends up winning the million dollars! This book is most definitely for young readers but it caught my eye so I though I would read the novel and it turned out pretty good!

[Cole Szegda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main characters are whisper, her sister, a few of the high school players, and reporters. Whisper got stuck will taking her sister to "Donut city" because she got straight A's on her report card. At "Donut city", they had a paper that you could fill out that puts you in a raffle and you could get the chance to take the million dollar kick.Her sister wanted to put her name in but she was to young so whisper did. After a few weeks, Whisper found out that she got chosen to take it and said yes but she had never played before. She got a high school soccer player to help her practice to shot on a pro soccer player. He found out that he was taking it on somebody that he wasn't expecting to.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juv Fic The second in Dan Gutman Million Dollar series, I enjoyed this one as much as the first I read, about the blind golfer. This one features an awkward middle school girl who's first and last attempt at soccer, or any sport, was in 3rd grade. She wins the opportunity to win one million dollars,(by coming up with a super slogan), if she can kick past the best goalie of the local Women's Pro Soccer team. You actually do learn alittle something about soccer but this book is more about how this girl copes with the pressure, some mean classmates, and her family who seems to be prouder of her younger sister than of her. And it has its funny moments like all Dan Gutman books have.

[MGTalbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whisper Nelson is a shy girl who accidentaly wins a chance for $1,000,000. However, she does not like any sports

Passage
Finally, June 5-the day of the Million Dollar Kick-had arrived. i set my alarm clock for nine in the morning. We had to be at Taft Stadium by 11:00 and i did not want to oversleep. It wasn't a problem. It had rained heavily during the night. a real frog-strangler, as they say around here. i had trouble sleeping with all the wind and noise on the roof.

I chose this passage because it showed how she prepared for the kick and what her feelings were toward it. It was also an important part in the book because there was no turning back even though she hated sports.

[Anthony Toce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main characters in this book are Whisper, her sister, and a professional goalie she may or may not be taking a shot against for a chance at 1 million dollars. Whisper and her sister were at Donut City and her sister saw where you can sign up to take a kick for a chance at 1 million dollars but her sister was too young so Whisper entered instead. The winner was determined by the best slogan entered and Whisper's was "The Kick, Kick Butt" and she won. The decision for Whisper though was take the kick or don't take the kick so she doesn't humiliate herself. To find out if she takes the kick and if she does take it if she makes it, read the book "The Million Dollar Kick" by Dan Gutman.

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whisper won a contest to enter a million dollar kick program from a donut shop. She practiced everyday with her trainer Ellie. She trained for a while and needed to against the best goalie on a pro women team. She goes through with it. The goalie that was suppose to show, hadn't they had a special goalie. Will she make it?

I think this book was better then the million dollar shot. It had a surprise twist in the end. It kept me wondering if she was going to make it. She had never played soccer before and this was probably her lasy/

[Jack Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty good. At some points its easy to see what is coming next and at the end you have no idea. I would recommend reading this book, it is interesting and an overall pretty good story. It keeps you wondering what will happen to whisper next and you dont want to stop reading. The characters were unexplained at first and they change drastically over time. Some people can seem like a completely different person by the end. Relationships occur and different people have different opinions on the people in her school and the people she is surrounded by.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a good book. Its about a girl who has to make a shot to win a million dollars. She has a coach that helps her know how to shoot and in which direction, so she can get the million dollars. But it turns out that the goalie when she is going to shoot is her coach. I'm not going to tell you if she makes the shot, but its a great book.

[Hani Barghout · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was reading this book, I was so excited and I wanted to know what will happen. In this book, the author knew when to surprise the readers. He showed us how girls can be good at sports too. I think this book has to win a lot of awards and I would recommend it for every person who likes sports.

[(Jen) The Artist Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable "juv" novel I fished out of the pile of donated books we were selling at a garage sale fundraiser. I was able to finish it before the sale was over and I think it would appeal to kids interested in sports (especially soccer) or even ones who don't (like Whisper, the protagonist herself).

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one for kids who like soccer, environmentalism, and getting historical facts presented to them in a very deliberate way. I didn't connect with any of the characters, although I'm glad that Whisper, the main character, started to understand herself better toward the end. She was negative and annoying at the beginning.

[Patrick Bonnenfent]

In the book the million dollar kick there was a kid named whisper nelson who was entered in a contest that his sister wanted to do but she was not in the right age for the contest she was to young. A week after Brianna entered him in to in the contest.a man called whisper telling him that he got picked to be to be in the contest.

[Allie Combs · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was about a million dollar penalty kick in soccer. the girl eneterd to win a million dollars but had to make a penatly kick into the goal with a real goaly and if she made it she would win a million dollars.

[Megan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book. The main character reminded me of me at that age--snarky and not interested in anything the other girls are interested in. I liked it, and I actually wasn't sure how it would end.

4/5 on here, 8/10 for myself