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The Academy #4
The Academy IV: Title Fight
It's Knights versus Dragons in the toughest league in the world!
Leo and his teammates are riding high after their performance in the Tournament of Champions. But last season, they still finished near the bottom of the table in the U14 Premier League. If they want to compete with the London Dragons, they have a big challenge ahead of them.
Samantha is back to coach the Knights, but some of Leo’s friends have moved on to the U16s or transferred to other clubs. There’s a whole new group of players, including Goran, a tough central midfielder who is determined to take Leo’s position. To make matters worse, Leo has a setback that might ruin his season—or even his future career.
The Youth Premier League is the best in the world, and Leo and his teammates will be tested like never before. Can they handle the pressure, overcome a whole new set of obstacles, and rise to the challenge of a TITLE FIGHT?
Leo and his teammates are riding high after their performance in the Tournament of Champions. But last season, they still finished near the bottom of the table in the U14 Premier League. If they want to compete with the London Dragons, they have a big challenge ahead of them.
Samantha is back to coach the Knights, but some of Leo’s friends have moved on to the U16s or transferred to other clubs. There’s a whole new group of players, including Goran, a tough central midfielder who is determined to take Leo’s position. To make matters worse, Leo has a setback that might ruin his season—or even his future career.
The Youth Premier League is the best in the world, and Leo and his teammates will be tested like never before. Can they handle the pressure, overcome a whole new set of obstacles, and rise to the challenge of a TITLE FIGHT?
306 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2024
About the author
T.Z. Layton
9 books130 followersT.Z. Layton is the award-winning author of the bestselling Academy series, which has been translated into multiple languages and optioned for film. The author is also a soccer dad, youth coach, referee, former collegiate player, and lifelong fan of the beautiful game.
To stay up to date on the Academy series and other stories by T.Z. Layton, it’s best to visit his website (tzlaytonbooks.com) and join his newsletter.
To stay up to date on the Academy series and other stories by T.Z. Layton, it’s best to visit his website (tzlaytonbooks.com) and join his newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 10, 2024
Best one of the series so far if you’re an adult reading it to a child. 😂
February 25, 2026
This book was surprising. In this book Leo comes in for his 2nd full season for the dragons and Samantha returns from her training. When he comes back he realises that there are new teammates on his team. Along with that, there is a new assistant coach. As the season progresses, they will try to get to the top of the board to win the league. But half way through the season Leo discovers he has growing pains. Not only that, he has been swapped with another player for his position. He is now worried that he will not move up to the U16s. Will his team win the league and Leo gets moved up to the U16s? Or will the team lose and Leo still has growing pains?
April 1, 2026
I related to parts of this book as I half of my team left to play Highschool. Playing with a new group of people can be a challenge and this book demonstrates this well. But it also show how you can overcome challenges in sports and prove everyone wrong if you don’t let others opinions get in your way. Great book.
January 3, 2025
Amazing!
January 14, 2026
Such a good addition to the series and the best one yet! I found myself laughing and tearing up, smiling almost the whole way through. I just adore these characters so so much and can’t wait to read the next one!!
December 19, 2024
The Academy IV: Title Fight is one of those rare books that actually made me want to read. Growing up most books didn't interest me and it was always a struggle to sit down and read for an extended period of time. Finding The Academy series has completely changed my view on reading. Coming from a soccer player The Academy books interest me a lot as you follow Leo and his journey on the rest of his team. Throughout the book you watch Leo as a soccer player and as a person. Reading through the story you follow the team at their lowest and at their highest.
I would recommend this book if you've had a similar reading experience to me and if you're interested in soccer or other sports. This book is just as good as the rest of The Academy series so if you've enjoyed the first 3 books you will also enjoy this book.
Overall, this book is perfect if you've enjoyed the first 3 books of the story as you continue following Leo's growth as a person and as a soccer player.
I would recommend this book if you've had a similar reading experience to me and if you're interested in soccer or other sports. This book is just as good as the rest of The Academy series so if you've enjoyed the first 3 books you will also enjoy this book.
Overall, this book is perfect if you've enjoyed the first 3 books of the story as you continue following Leo's growth as a person and as a soccer player.
February 12, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for the ARC of The Academy IV: Title Fight
by T.Z. Layton.
Now a New York Times bestselling series and I know why. This series hooked me on book one and now I have read the first four books in the series and cannot wait for the next installment. Leo continues to spend his time in the USA playing soccer with his friends but once the break is over he is back on a plane to rejoin the Knights as they take on the rest of the teams in the U14 Premier League. This season looks a little different however, many of Leo’s friends have moved up to the U16 division, new people have joined the team, and a new assistant coach has joined the ranks as well. Players that started last season and during the Tournament of Champions now find themselves finding to keep their starting spot. Leo will also face a challenge that no one could have predicted.
This series continues to excite readers with the fast pace, action/adventure filled chapters. The author has a special gift where he can focus on instilling life lessons into his books without appearing “preaching”. The books are so fun and the characters are so well developed that you cannot help but find yourself rooting for Leo and becoming a die-hard Knights fan. I cannot recommend this series enough. I have loved it myself and have gifted it to many friends’ young readers. Don’t sleep on this series!
by T.Z. Layton.
Now a New York Times bestselling series and I know why. This series hooked me on book one and now I have read the first four books in the series and cannot wait for the next installment. Leo continues to spend his time in the USA playing soccer with his friends but once the break is over he is back on a plane to rejoin the Knights as they take on the rest of the teams in the U14 Premier League. This season looks a little different however, many of Leo’s friends have moved up to the U16 division, new people have joined the team, and a new assistant coach has joined the ranks as well. Players that started last season and during the Tournament of Champions now find themselves finding to keep their starting spot. Leo will also face a challenge that no one could have predicted.
This series continues to excite readers with the fast pace, action/adventure filled chapters. The author has a special gift where he can focus on instilling life lessons into his books without appearing “preaching”. The books are so fun and the characters are so well developed that you cannot help but find yourself rooting for Leo and becoming a die-hard Knights fan. I cannot recommend this series enough. I have loved it myself and have gifted it to many friends’ young readers. Don’t sleep on this series!
June 18, 2026
I'm pretty sure that my kids like each book in the series just a bit more than the last one! I am so impressed that each book is consistently GOOD. In fact, I haven't read a true middle grade series where I genuinely enjoyed every book so much except for Ponti's City Spies. This is high, high praise and so well-deserved.
Yes, each book is about the same thing: Soccer. But so many different aspects of being a kid are handled with skill and in fun ways that it never gets boring. In this book I found myself getting frustrated that the main character wasn't getting help from adults sooner...but then I had a total wake-up call moment as I remembered how very, very accurate this is to life with a young teen! And guess what? Eventually he got help and the adults supported him instead of lecturing for not getting help sooner. I also appreciate how much grit and determination Leo shows in this book particularly. This is a skill that is really hard for many kids today and I love seeing that play out on the page in these stories. I also love that there are a wide variety of kids with differing backgrounds and attitudes. There's so much room for empathy and learning to understand differences, plus the nature of a team sport means that working together is so important, so seeing what happens when someone doesn't do that come across in very natural consequences.
I cannot recommend these highly enough, especially the audiobooks. We are such big fans!
Yes, each book is about the same thing: Soccer. But so many different aspects of being a kid are handled with skill and in fun ways that it never gets boring. In this book I found myself getting frustrated that the main character wasn't getting help from adults sooner...but then I had a total wake-up call moment as I remembered how very, very accurate this is to life with a young teen! And guess what? Eventually he got help and the adults supported him instead of lecturing for not getting help sooner. I also appreciate how much grit and determination Leo shows in this book particularly. This is a skill that is really hard for many kids today and I love seeing that play out on the page in these stories. I also love that there are a wide variety of kids with differing backgrounds and attitudes. There's so much room for empathy and learning to understand differences, plus the nature of a team sport means that working together is so important, so seeing what happens when someone doesn't do that come across in very natural consequences.
I cannot recommend these highly enough, especially the audiobooks. We are such big fans!
December 25, 2025
Leo and his friends have finished their season in youth premier league and not at the bottom. They won the Tournament of Champions and they are back for another season as the Knights. However, some the team have moved up to the U16’s and some have moved to other clubs, and that leaves Leo with some new players to deal with and if that isn’t enough Leo has to sit out a bunch of games because of a injury hopefully this injury won’t stop Leo’s season or end his career, but he gets the best advice from his dad and Messi the lizard.
This series is wonderful for all kids even reluctant readers and especially ones who really like soccer. Leo is a great role model and plays fair which doesn’t automatically make him the most popular guy on the team but he doesn’t give in and take the easy way out. The characters and plot is reliable something a lot of kids dream of including me when I was younger. I hope we see a lot more of Leo and his friends in the future.
Review copy provided by Edelweiss
This series is wonderful for all kids even reluctant readers and especially ones who really like soccer. Leo is a great role model and plays fair which doesn’t automatically make him the most popular guy on the team but he doesn’t give in and take the easy way out. The characters and plot is reliable something a lot of kids dream of including me when I was younger. I hope we see a lot more of Leo and his friends in the future.
Review copy provided by Edelweiss
May 24, 2026
To już czwarty tom o zmaganiach piłkarskich Leo, a fabuła nie zwalnia tempa. Pojawiają się nowi rywale, a walka o utrzymanie się na pozycji w pierwszym składzie nigdy nie była jeszcze tak zacięta.
Presja to coś z czym zawodnicy muszą nauczyć się zmagać, a teraz rośnie z każdym kolejnym dniem.
Leo również dowiaduje się czegoś bardzo istotnego: nie zawsze da się grać, gdy zaczynamy czuć się źle. Kontuzje i problemy zdrowotne pojawiają się niezależnie od naszych marzeń i ambicji.
Ta część, jak do tej pory jest zdecydowanie moją ulubioną. Bohaterowie dorastają, zmieniają się oraz pokonują własne słabości i chwile zwątpienia. Takie wątki są potrzebne, szczególnie w seriach sportowych, bo samo wygrywanie nie jest w stanie nauczyć niczego młodego czytelnika i nie pokazuje ogromu ciężkiej pracy, którą wymagana jest w profesjonalnym sporcie.
Mnie ta seria wciągnęła bez granic i nieustannie polecam ją dla każdego fana piłki nożnej oraz osób uwielbiających bohaterów gotowych na wszystko w walce o swoje. Czekam na kolejne tomy!🔥
Presja to coś z czym zawodnicy muszą nauczyć się zmagać, a teraz rośnie z każdym kolejnym dniem.
Leo również dowiaduje się czegoś bardzo istotnego: nie zawsze da się grać, gdy zaczynamy czuć się źle. Kontuzje i problemy zdrowotne pojawiają się niezależnie od naszych marzeń i ambicji.
Ta część, jak do tej pory jest zdecydowanie moją ulubioną. Bohaterowie dorastają, zmieniają się oraz pokonują własne słabości i chwile zwątpienia. Takie wątki są potrzebne, szczególnie w seriach sportowych, bo samo wygrywanie nie jest w stanie nauczyć niczego młodego czytelnika i nie pokazuje ogromu ciężkiej pracy, którą wymagana jest w profesjonalnym sporcie.
Mnie ta seria wciągnęła bez granic i nieustannie polecam ją dla każdego fana piłki nożnej oraz osób uwielbiających bohaterów gotowych na wszystko w walce o swoje. Czekam na kolejne tomy!🔥
November 17, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Leo is back at the academy. Some of his friends have moved on, but he is glad to still be working with Coach Samantha. There's lots of good details about playing soccer that I didn't understand, but my students will love. I enjoyed it when Leo reveled in his own celebrity a bit, but of course things didn't always go smoothly.
These are wildly popular with my students, so I will definitely buy the whole set, but may not write complete reviews, since I don't feel like I can do them justice.
Reviews of the first two books here:
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
Leo is back at the academy. Some of his friends have moved on, but he is glad to still be working with Coach Samantha. There's lots of good details about playing soccer that I didn't understand, but my students will love. I enjoyed it when Leo reveled in his own celebrity a bit, but of course things didn't always go smoothly.
These are wildly popular with my students, so I will definitely buy the whole set, but may not write complete reviews, since I don't feel like I can do them justice.
Reviews of the first two books here:
https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/...
April 2, 2025
Best series ever 🤩
The book is super exciting as you track the Knights season. My 8yo son and I read it together and we love every second. The author is so good at describing the game and keeping you engaged in the plays, tricks and emotions. The book covers all sorts of important topics for young athletes - strength conditioning, winning and losing with grace, teamwork, etc. A must read for any young soccer lover (parents too!)
The book is super exciting as you track the Knights season. My 8yo son and I read it together and we love every second. The author is so good at describing the game and keeping you engaged in the plays, tricks and emotions. The book covers all sorts of important topics for young athletes - strength conditioning, winning and losing with grace, teamwork, etc. A must read for any young soccer lover (parents too!)
November 19, 2025
The fact that I keep waiting for the next in this middle grade sports series says a lot. Another winning football story as Leo works to overcome personal challenges. Once again, there is a lot of football action. Again, highly recommended.
Review based on a DRC received through Edelweiss+.
Review based on a DRC received through Edelweiss+.
September 16, 2024
Charlie says 4.5. Knocked for being a bit predictable. We like the characters though.
January 11, 2025
Great book to encoruage young/middle grade learners who LOVE sports to read!
February 1, 2025
Love these stories as much as my 10yo I'm reading them too.
March 9, 2025
Read it to my 9yo son. It Went really quickly. He loved it, and was audibly excited every time Leo or the team succeeded.
On to Academy 5!
On to Academy 5!
March 29, 2025
Read this book it is so good you should definitely read it
April 11, 2026
It’s so cool when he scores that epic bicycle kick in the end! Sorry for the spoilers if you haven’t read it yet😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2026
good
So good very good so good the best so good awesomely good so good very good the best good really good
So good very good so good the best so good awesomely good so good very good the best good really good
August 18, 2024
To be honest I'm really sure my mother was the first ever person to buy the book! Me and my brother were pestering her the moment it became summer to see whether the book had came out yet😂 and when it came out, we weren't disappointed at all. Really good, except did the knights really have to win the youth premier league? Because if it was a twist like the first book, it could have been better.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews