Offside: A Graphic Novel

by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Mari Costa (Illustrator)

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Childrens

208 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 7, 2026

About the author

Christina Diaz Gonzalez is the Edgar® award-winning author of several books including The Red Umbrella, A Thunderous Whisper, the Moving Target duology, Stormspeaker, Concealed, and two upcoming books, Invisible (a graphic novel available in August 2022) and The Bluest Sky (a historical fiction novel available in September 2022). Her books have received numerous honors including the Florida Book Award, the Nebraska Book Award, and the International Latino Book Award. Her work has also been designated as an American Library Association's Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, and as an International Reading Association's Teachers' Choice book. Christina currently lives in Miami, Florida with her husband, sons, and a dog that can open doors. Learn more at www.christinagonzalez.com

Reviews

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Palmer is an avid soccer player who has torn his ACL and is out for the season. Luckily, Coach Harris and Coach T of the Jayhawks understand how important the sport is to him, and let him tag along as a "manager". His teammate Al hates having girls on the team (blaming it on his Peruvian father and grandfather's adherence to the antiquated idea that girls shouldn't even play soccer), so tries to sabotage Nicky, who has quit the girls' team and joined the Jayhawks hoping it will better further her career. Palmer's neighbor Fabiola is new to the US and learning English, but is interested in being on the team as well. So is Seba, a boy in Fabiola's English language learners class who is also new to the US. When both Nicky and Fabiola both make the team, Al is worried that his grandfather won't be proud of him playing soccer when he visits. Al's father goes so far as to lie to Vovo about Al's game, claiming it was cancelled. Palmer is asked to write an article for the school paper about having girls on the team, to help everyone accept them. After talking to Nicky about her experience with the poor fields for the girls, the article takes a different direction that manages to make both Nicky and Al angry, but which gets picked up by the local paper. Al finds that there is a field nearby that is for sale, and has a plan to get it turned into soccer fields. He offers Nicky the chance to play the hero is she and Fabiola don't play in a game so that his grandfather can watch the game. This turns into an odd sort of publicity event that involves Seba bringing his neighbor who has a petting zoo, but pressure is put on the mayor to do the right things for sports in the town. Al's grandfather is more accepting of girls playing soccer than Al and his father expect, and the team starts to work together. There is a glossary of soccer terms at the back of the book, and a lot of dual language (Spanish/English mostly, but some Portugese) speech bubbles throughout the book.
Strengths: Both soccer and graphic novels are popular with my Spanish speaking students, to this will be a big hit. The coaches were the best part of this for me, because they modeled very positive behavior and encouraged the team to support each other and work together. Fabiola and Seba's experiences with language are very true to life. Fabiola often uses her phone to translate her conversations, which I have seen students do, but I appreciated that her mother encouraged her NOT to rely on the phone too much. Nicky is a complicated character who carries a lot of anger that comes from her personal life, and her desired career trajectory is something middle school students envision, and also adds to her frustration and anger. Palmer is fairly philosophical about being out for the season, but is still invested in his team. Gonzalez has clearly spent some time around middle school soccer teams!
Weaknesses: It's been over fifty years since Title IX, and while the world isn't perfect, it still feels extremely antiquated for boys to complain that girls are on their teams. We've had girls on the football team at my middle school, and no one cared. I thought we were catching up, with books like Lupica's Triple Threat series or Green's Final Season, but just like the real world, I guess we are seeing backsliding in girls' and women's rights.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked sports books centering on girls playing for boys' teams, like Marino's Iced Out, or who are interested in the experience of English language learners. I'll purchase this, since there are so few sports graphic novels, but I just wanted to slap Al and his father. They reminded me of a father of two boys I coached in cross country who took offense when I told the boys they needed to run like the girls, because then they might actually win. The father did not take kindly to the fact that the girls WERE doing much better than the boys, or that I pointed this out!

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soccer is the focus of Christina Gonzalez’s graphic novel OFFSIDE and like her INVISIBLE, equity, equality and confidence in one’s self are key topics included in the drama both on and off the field.

Nicky has soccer dreams that put her squarely on an Olympic Development Team and eventually, a professional one. Her first step was earning a spot on her school’s all male soccer team in order to step up the training and facilities from the inferior conditions her girls’ team is relegated to using. Joining her on the Jayhawks is Fabiola, a talented player in her own right, and recently arrived from Columbia and still working on her English. Despite their talent, team leader Al is determined to return the school’s team to its all male status and has his dad pushing him to ensure that happens. The division leads to poor play on the field, misunderstandings both on and off, and plenty of hurt feelings all around, but the very real difference in practice fields finally begins to sink in with Al, Nicky begins to think with more of team player mindset and change begins.

Gonzalez does an excellent job of establishing the influences in Al’s life that create his determination to get the girls off the school team and Nicky’s selfish attitude and unpleasant pushiness is crystal clear. With the conflicts set, key supporting characters Palmer, Fabiola, and Seba provide the catalysts for growth in both Al and Nicky and while the book’s 3 week time frame is probably not enough to solve all the difficulties in real life, the message comes through clearly and does not seem too unrealistic. Using text balloons with solid and dotted lines, Gonzalez includes spoken words with their translation using English and Spanish. At times this makes the illustrated panels a bit cluttered, but determining who is speaking and in what language is not difficult and adds much to the feeling of working together in sports and in communication.

Recommended for libraries with soccer fans and those who enjoy graphic novels.

*Target age: grade 4-8
*Profanity: none
*Violence: aggressive soccer play and some bad attitudes only
*Sexual content: none
*Representation: Key characters are Caucasian, Peruvian, Colombian, Japanese and Black with some being biracial; families are diverse with some having traditional two parent homes, Nicky’s parents are divorced and she deals with mistakes on visitation days and her dad having a girlfriend; respect for older relatives and neighbors modeled
*LBGTQ+: none

Thanks, Scholastic, for providing libraries with a print arc via the 2026 Texas Library Association annual conference.

[Deborah Zeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

five kids. one team. and absolutely zero chill from the very first practice. ⚽😤
meet the squad:
nicky — fighting for her spot like her life depends on it 💪
al — being pushed by his dad to make sure she doesn't get it 😬
palmer, fabiola, and seba — just trying to play soccer and suddenly caught in the middle of ALL of this 😅
first ever co-ed season.
should've been historic.
is definitely historic — just not in the way anyone planned. 👀
the rivalries? intensifying. 🔥
the friendships? straining. 💔
the dad pressure? suffocating. 😶
the bigger issues bubbling under the surface? oh they are COMING. 🌊
this book isn't really about soccer.
it's about who gets to take up space.
and who gets told they don't belong —
and refuses to believe it. 🙌

Christina never disappoints. I love how we meet 5 new characters, similar to her GN Invisible (one of my favorites!) This time it's boys v. girls, vying for a spot on the soccer team while trying to figure out how to work together. It's all about teamwork, working through your differences and realizing that you may have more in common than first glance. I really liked how the author included the spanish translation with the english phrasing. Another small way the kids work together when they put their minds to it. This title releases July 7 from @graphixbooks

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new MG graphic novel from the author who brought us Invisible.
⚽️
Meet 5 middle school soccer players: Al, Nicky, Palmer, Fabiola, and Seba, whose first-ever co-ed season sparks tension both on and off the field. Nicky fights for her place on the team, while Al, pressured by his father, is determined to push the girls out. As rivalries intensify and friendships strain, the team begins to uncover deeper issues that go beyond soccer.
🥅
This graphic novel is told in a dynamic bilingual (English/Spanish) format. It explores teamwork, identity, and what it truly means to win—together. And graphic novel + soccer + Spanish = an instant hit in my TX middle school library. I’m thrilled to moderate a panel at @NTTBF with @christinadiazgonzalez and loved the artwork by @marinscos This title releases July 7 from @graphixbooks

CW: sexism, misogyny, neglect, injury

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jackson Middle School soccer team is getting ready for a new season, and a lot of changes.  Offside focuses on five of the team’s players, each with their own worries and concerns as the season begins.  One of the best players, Palmer, is injured and on crutches this fall, but the coach has asked him to act as manager.  Fabiola, Palmer’s new neighbor from Colombia, is great at soccer but not so great with English yet.  Nicky is an outstanding player who has fought for the right to play on the boys’ team, since the girls’ team plays on subpar fields with old equipment, and Nicky is really hoping to get noticed.  Seba Louk is a latchkey kid who has little team experience, but natural goalkeeping skills.  And the team‘s captain and star, Al, is furious that the team will be co-ed this year thanks to Nicky’s efforts.  Al does not think girls belong on the team (and neither does his father), and does everything he can think of to keep Nicky and Fabiola sidelined.  Coach Harris asks Palmer to write a story on the team for the school paper, and the finished product attracts the attention of a reporter from the town newspaper.  As the spotlight on the inequities between boys’ and girls’ sports intensifies, Al slowly realizes he will not be able to deter the girls from playing, and instead decides to join forces.  The kids and their adults - coaches, parents, and neighbors - work together to persuade the mayor to improve conditions at local fields to provide better opportunities for all. 

Language barriers, gender roles, social activism, and family matters all come into play in this enjoyable, relatable graphic novel.  Each student’s background and home life is gradually revealed throughout the book, and readers will certainly find lots of ways to make connections with these characters.  Palmer, who is white, is frustrated at being on the bench for the season and accepts the reporting assignment reluctantly for fear of offending his friends.  He has also been tasked with helping Fabiola get acclimated at school, which puts him at odds with his best friend Al.  Having previously attended dual-language school, Palmer is supposed to practice his Spanish with Fabiola, who in turn is trying to work on her English.  She has two teasing older brothers who have helped her hone her soccer skills.  Al’s family is from Brazil and he is feeling pressured by his father, and worried that his visiting grandfather will be displeased by the girls on the team; Al is also trying to be a good role model for his adoring, soccer-obsessed little sister.  Nicky is struggling to impress her father too, but lately he is too busy traveling with his new girlfriend to make it to her games.  Louk is also new to town, from Peru, and his parents work a lot of extra hours to make ends meet, but he finds a mentor in his neighbor Mr. Gellar, who owns a mobile petting zoo (whose emu plays a pivotal role in the story’s resolution).   The plot of the book is framed around soccer practice and game days, and the graphic novel format supports that very well.  The soccer scenes are action-packed, as are many of the conversations, and the illustrations are suitably energetic and expressive.  As with Gonzalez’ book Invisible, much of the dialog is written in English and Spanish, or English and Portuguese in the scenes with Al’s family, in dual speech bubbles, which makes the book accessible to more readers, and serves to highlight the challenges our ELL students face every day.  A glossary of soccer terms is appended. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Christopher Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming, bilingual soccer story showcasing a good array of characters. Some are looking for competitive edge, some are looking to play well with friends. This story took an approachable way of shedding a spotlight on gender inequality in sports due to cultural biases and its impacts on potential resources for teams or individuals’ ongoing successes. There was a good amount of embarrassing hilarity with one of the major conflicts in the middle of the story including one very upset emu, and all and all a fun read for the community soccer lover out there.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel was so much fun. It has kids being kids while also challenging gender in sports, injury as well as moving to a new place and not knowing the language. But above all, it's about soccer love, just in time for the World Cup!

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[Tyra Damm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Athletes on a school soccer team struggle to work together until they find a shared purpose in this graphic novel. Similar to Diaz’s 2022 graphic novel Invisible, Offside features bilingual characters who bring different strengths and challenges to the group.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are shaking up at Jackson Middle School when the soccer team becomes co-ed: both boys and girls can play. Offside builds bridges and friendships across cultures while also exploring and exposing gender inequality in the sports world-- even at school.

[Beth Icard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Counting books in my reading challenge that I copyedited or proofread. It's only fair. It's a damn lot of reading I'm not including otherwise!

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC to review for a panel I will be moderating for School Library Journal
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I enjoyed this multilingual graphic novel for middle school readers. While the story is centered around a newly co-ed soccer team, there are many more themes to consider and would make great discussion points.