Boot It! World Book Day 2023

by A.M. Dassu

Sami and Ali dream of playing for the school football team. They practise in the park every day and work hard on their skills. But acing the trials is the last of the boys' worries when they're made to feel they don't belong on the team because of the colour of their skin. Ali just wants to tackle the ball on the pitch. Now he's being forced to tackle the racism in his team too. But how can he, when he's told it's “just banter”? From the award-winning author of Boy, Everywhere comes a powerful story of friendship and booting out racism.

120 pages, Paperback

Published February 16, 2023

About the author

A. M. Dassu is a multi award-winning writer of both non-fiction and fiction including the internationally acclaimed novel Boy, Everywhere, one of The Guardian’s, Bookriot’s, Kirkus’s, American Library Association's Booklist's, CLPE's and BookTrust’s Best Children’s Book of the Year. It has coveted starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist and Publisher’s Weekly and is also an American Library Association's Notable Book. Boy, Everywhere also featured as one of The Guardian’s Children’s Best New Novels on publication in October 2020, is on Amnesty’s Books That Inspire Activism list and has been listed for 25 awards including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Carnegie Medal, and is the 2021 winner of The Little Rebels Award for Radical Fiction.

A. M. Dassu is former Deputy Editor, now Advisory Board member of Words & Pictures magazine for children's writers and illustrators, and a Director of Inclusive Minds, a unique organisation for people who are passionate about inclusion, diversity, equality, and accessibility in children’s literature. A. M. Dassu is patron of The Other Side of Hope, a new literary magazine edited by immigrants and refugees, which serves to celebrate the refugee and immigrant communities worldwide. She is also one of The National Literacy Trust‘s Connecting Stories campaign authors, aiming to help inspire a love of reading and writing in children and young people.

A. M. Dassu grew up in the Midlands dreaming of becoming a writer but studied economics instead and worked in marketing and project management before realising her dream. Her work has been published by The Huffington Post, Times Educational Supplement, SCOOP Magazine, Lee and Low Books, Old Barn Books, Scholastic, DK Books and Harper Collins. She writes books that challenge stereotypes, humanise the “other” and are full of empathy, hope and heart. You can also find her on Twitter @a_reflective or Instagram @a.m.dassu

Reviews

[Kirsten Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!
Before you read this go and read Boy, Everywhere. It is sure to become one of your favourite books.
Boot it! is a short story that follows the first book and it's magnificent to read about the same characters again. This short story delves into the situation of trying out for the football team. This brings back memories of the past and stirs up racist comments from peers.

[Kirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
I admittedly know fairly little about Free Books given out in the UK for World Book Day, other than we really need that here in the US, but presumably the book is meant to be a smaller simpler story than a complete novel. The Muslim author returns to her character from Boy, Everywhere in this story set in Manchester and focuses on teammates sticking together to address racism on the soccer field/football pitch at their school. The Syrian refugee Sami and his Desi friend Ali are presumably Muslim and they say "salam," but no hints about religion of any sort are in the book other than that and their names. I akin it to a Muslim in the illustration, but in a chapter book for middle grades when one sees the name Sami al-Hafez responding to a "Salam, bro."

The knocked star isn't so much for the simplicity, or length, or lack of Islamic or cultural rep, the book is 91 pages, I get that. I struggled a bit with year eight aged kids getting so hung up on being told, "sorry." I can understand wanting a genuine apology, or some reflection or determination to do better or change, but it came across so silly that the climax wanted a "sorry" being spoken. Other than that the book was a quick read and I think 2nd to 4th grade soccer/football fans particularly will enjoy the story.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to my 7 year old as part of night routine - couple of chapters a night. Yes my child could read this on his own but he also enjoys being read too.

Quick read style book with thought provoking comments.

Theme is racism / bullying and harassment. Racist language used. Due to the audience there isn’t great depth but you can still understand the plot. Immediately my child understands the nastiness and demanded Nathan to be removed from the team.

[Flissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always read the World Book Day books, just for an easy read, and as always this one was quick and simple, but also super enjoyable. It contains a great anti-racism message, and how hard people are working to kick it out (especially in football).

[Selina Litt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy Everywhere was one of my favourite books last year, so it was nice to see this short sequel. A quick but well written read.

[Kallina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful story about two boys standing up for racism in there school

[Kj Betteridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 I liked the themes but because of its size wasn't much depth

[ayesha ˙⋆✮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

woah I never thought à children’s book could make me feel so good