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Number 9: The Beginning | Soccer Books for Kids 8-12
FROM TEXAS DREAMER TO LONDON LEGENDJack has never played for a real team—until now.
When a surprise trial lands him at England’s top soccer academy, Jack swaps his small Texas town for the cutthroat world of elite football in London. But it’s nothing like he imagined.
Every mistake is punished. Every pass is judged. Rival players want him gone. Alone, out of his depth, and way behind the others, Jack starts to question everything.
Then he finds The Bandits—an underground crew of street soccer legends. No whistles. No coaches. No limits. Just pure, electric soccer that rewrites every rule he's ever known.
As Jack sneaks between two worlds—the rigid academy and the wild freedom of street ball—he learns that becoming a star isn’t about being perfect... it’s about playing with heart.
Can a total outsider rise to the top before he's kicked out for good?
🔥 Why Kids Love
✔ Fast-paced matches, epic rivalries, and jaw-dropping street skills
✔ Jack’s a relatable underdog you can’t help but root for
✔ Bursting with energy, emotion, and soccer action from start to finish
💡 Why Parents Love
✔ Teaches resilience, teamwork, and confidence
✔ Inspires kids to dream big and never give up
✔ Perfect for 8–12 year olds—especially reluctant readers
⚽ Ideal book series for fans of soccer, sports, and fast-paced underdog stories.
🎯 Join Jack’s thrilling soccer journey today!
When a surprise trial lands him at England’s top soccer academy, Jack swaps his small Texas town for the cutthroat world of elite football in London. But it’s nothing like he imagined.
Every mistake is punished. Every pass is judged. Rival players want him gone. Alone, out of his depth, and way behind the others, Jack starts to question everything.
Then he finds The Bandits—an underground crew of street soccer legends. No whistles. No coaches. No limits. Just pure, electric soccer that rewrites every rule he's ever known.
As Jack sneaks between two worlds—the rigid academy and the wild freedom of street ball—he learns that becoming a star isn’t about being perfect... it’s about playing with heart.
Can a total outsider rise to the top before he's kicked out for good?
🔥 Why Kids Love
✔ Fast-paced matches, epic rivalries, and jaw-dropping street skills
✔ Jack’s a relatable underdog you can’t help but root for
✔ Bursting with energy, emotion, and soccer action from start to finish
💡 Why Parents Love
✔ Teaches resilience, teamwork, and confidence
✔ Inspires kids to dream big and never give up
✔ Perfect for 8–12 year olds—especially reluctant readers
⚽ Ideal book series for fans of soccer, sports, and fast-paced underdog stories.
🎯 Join Jack’s thrilling soccer journey today!
231 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2024
55 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 21, 2025
If there’s one thing my grandson loves, it’s sports — and soccer is one of his absolute favorites! So when it was his turn to pick our next read, of course he wanted a soccer book (it iseason, after all ⚽).
We just finished reading No. 9 by Jack Scorer — and we had such a great time with it! The story follows Jack, a boy from Texas who wins a Golden Ticket to attend Kingsdown Academy in London. 🇬🇧
N. thought the story was a little sad (fair warning — there’s a dog who doesn’t make it 😢), and Jack faces some tough moments with bullies and loneliness. But even with the hard parts, we both really enjoyed it!
This book perfectly captures the ups and downs of soccer — sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you always have to work hard and play as a team. ⚽
N. especially loved how Jack made new friends with the Bandits, even though (as he pointed out) there were no ducks or nature scenes in this book — a big disappointment in his eyes! 🦆😂
His favorite moment? When Jack gives up a chance to score a goal so his teammate can shine — such a great message about teamwork! 🙌
And his favorite quote:
“Dreams are not what you see in your sleep, they are things that don’t let you sleep.” — Cristiano Ronaldo
A heartfelt story about friendship, teamwork, and never giving up on your dreams.
We just finished reading No. 9 by Jack Scorer — and we had such a great time with it! The story follows Jack, a boy from Texas who wins a Golden Ticket to attend Kingsdown Academy in London. 🇬🇧
N. thought the story was a little sad (fair warning — there’s a dog who doesn’t make it 😢), and Jack faces some tough moments with bullies and loneliness. But even with the hard parts, we both really enjoyed it!
This book perfectly captures the ups and downs of soccer — sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you always have to work hard and play as a team. ⚽
N. especially loved how Jack made new friends with the Bandits, even though (as he pointed out) there were no ducks or nature scenes in this book — a big disappointment in his eyes! 🦆😂
His favorite moment? When Jack gives up a chance to score a goal so his teammate can shine — such a great message about teamwork! 🙌
And his favorite quote:
“Dreams are not what you see in your sleep, they are things that don’t let you sleep.” — Cristiano Ronaldo
A heartfelt story about friendship, teamwork, and never giving up on your dreams.
January 14, 2025
Great for my kids
The kids I teach at my church have started a soccer team and this has been a really great and helpful guide.
I honestly didn’t know much about the sport, and because this book said for beginners, I thought I would give it a shot.
Glad I did! I’m grabbing the other books in the series now, because you definitely need more info after reading this, but overall, this was for my target age group and it did not disappoint. There were lots of things I was having trouble figuring out exactly how to explain and this does it in an easy to read format as well as easy to explain 10-year-olds.
The kids I teach at my church have started a soccer team and this has been a really great and helpful guide.
I honestly didn’t know much about the sport, and because this book said for beginners, I thought I would give it a shot.
Glad I did! I’m grabbing the other books in the series now, because you definitely need more info after reading this, but overall, this was for my target age group and it did not disappoint. There were lots of things I was having trouble figuring out exactly how to explain and this does it in an easy to read format as well as easy to explain 10-year-olds.
January 3, 2025
cool story, perfect for the reluctant reader
This story is perfectly geared toward the young soccer player who may be reluctant to read, but will dive into a soccer story.
Jake and his friends are very relatable characters. I also enjoyed seeing the growth Jack experiences throughout the story. The character arc is well developed, albeit a little too convenient at times.
Similarly, the plot ties together a little too easily as everything works out perfectly for Jack.
This story is perfectly geared toward the young soccer player who may be reluctant to read, but will dive into a soccer story.
Jake and his friends are very relatable characters. I also enjoyed seeing the growth Jack experiences throughout the story. The character arc is well developed, albeit a little too convenient at times.
Similarly, the plot ties together a little too easily as everything works out perfectly for Jack.
May 11, 2025
What a start to a fantastic soccer series! One of the best middle grade fiction books I've read. The character development is excellent and the plots are so imaginative. Its more than just soccer, its about coming of age and growing as a person. It has my inspirational themes that can be really motivating and uplifting for younger readers. I love the writing style too, really fast paced making it a real page turner, highly recommend!
September 22, 2025
Scoring goals, finding heart
Number 9 is a fast, fun read. I liked how the book balances high-pressure matches with moments of friendship, courage, and self-belief. The soccer scenes are exciting but easy to follow, even if you’re not a big fan. Perfect for kids who dream of sports or just love an underdog story.
Number 9 is a fast, fun read. I liked how the book balances high-pressure matches with moments of friendship, courage, and self-belief. The soccer scenes are exciting but easy to follow, even if you’re not a big fan. Perfect for kids who dream of sports or just love an underdog story.
December 18, 2024
Really good story
Jack is a soccer player from Texas who has a chance to play for an academy in England. Is this the chance he’s been waiting for, read this really good story and find out. You’re going to enjoy reading it.
Jack is a soccer player from Texas who has a chance to play for an academy in England. Is this the chance he’s been waiting for, read this really good story and find out. You’re going to enjoy reading it.
May 19, 2025
Great feel good story that is safe and appropriate for kids. Really well written and actually quite funny at times. Whether your child loves soccer or not, they will still really enjoy this book. Cool writing style too, very fast paced but easy to read for younger readers.
May 13, 2025
Got this for my 10 year old and he smashed the whole book in a day, he's already moved on to the second in the series, the story is what makes it and its really family friendly and inspiring
May 18, 2025
Very good
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews