What do you think?
Rate this book
Rocket
When Maddie's dad gets a new job in a town in Central West Queensland, she misses her home, her friends and most of all her football club. Here, there are only four teams in the entire district, and just one other female player. Plus, the team that she joins, The Numbats, have never won a game. But, while unsuccessful on the field, her teammates help Maddie adjust to her new life and she inspires them to their first ever win.From the internationally bestselling author, Dave Lowe, comes the incredible story of 12 year old Maddie who feels like her dream of playing for the Matildas is over but the truth is, it's only just beginning.
180 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2023
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 11, 2023
Dave Lowe is a British-born, Brisbane-based author whose previous works include the My Hamster Is a Genius series, The Incredible Dadventure series, the ‘Cafe’ episode of Bluey, and several plays and musicals performed at the Brisbane Arts Theatre. He is also a keen soccer player, coach and fan, which explains his connection to the topic of his latest middle grade title, Rocket, launched during the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Rocket is the story of twelve-year-old Maddie, who moves to an unnamed Central-West Queensland town with her dad. Maddie is devastated to leave Brisbane and her beloved Bulldogs soccer team, thus – she thinks – destroying her dream of someday playing for the Matildas. Especially since her new district only has four teams and one other female player, and the team she joins – the Numbats – has never won a game. But the team might just win Maddie over, one game at a time.
There is a growing call for shorter, pacier middle grade books as an alternative to the many hefty tomes currently being published for this readership, and Rocket fits the bill. Its 178 pages include tween-friendly themes such as being the new kid, sticking up for your mates and dealing with embarrassing parents. The heartwarming father-daughter relationship at the centre of the story is also accompanied by a gentle exploration of grief in relation to the death of Maddie’s mother some years earlier.
With plenty of play-by-play soccer match scenes, Rocket is perfectly pitched for sport-loving middle grade readers… but the likeable characters, small-town setting and Lowe’s signature humour kept this non-sporty reader (who once lived in Central-West Queensland herself) turning the pages too!
This review was first shared on StoryLinks Australia.
Rocket is the story of twelve-year-old Maddie, who moves to an unnamed Central-West Queensland town with her dad. Maddie is devastated to leave Brisbane and her beloved Bulldogs soccer team, thus – she thinks – destroying her dream of someday playing for the Matildas. Especially since her new district only has four teams and one other female player, and the team she joins – the Numbats – has never won a game. But the team might just win Maddie over, one game at a time.
There is a growing call for shorter, pacier middle grade books as an alternative to the many hefty tomes currently being published for this readership, and Rocket fits the bill. Its 178 pages include tween-friendly themes such as being the new kid, sticking up for your mates and dealing with embarrassing parents. The heartwarming father-daughter relationship at the centre of the story is also accompanied by a gentle exploration of grief in relation to the death of Maddie’s mother some years earlier.
With plenty of play-by-play soccer match scenes, Rocket is perfectly pitched for sport-loving middle grade readers… but the likeable characters, small-town setting and Lowe’s signature humour kept this non-sporty reader (who once lived in Central-West Queensland herself) turning the pages too!
This review was first shared on StoryLinks Australia.
Displaying 1 of 1 review