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The Mighty Dynamo
A boy. A game. A dream. Will a false accusation crush all his hopes or will the Mighty Dynamo live up to his nickname?
More than anything, Noah Murphy wants to be a professional soccer player―and participating in the Schools' World Cup qualifiers might be just what he needs to get scouted. But when he's suspiciously banned from his school team for something he didn't even do, all his dreams come crashing down.
Determined to live up to his reputation as a dynamo, Noah must find his own way to enter the contest no matter what it takes. With his best friend Stevie on tactics, and the skills of some unlikely new teammates, he's soon ready to take on the world―just as long as no one plays foul.
A chapter book that will delight reluctant readers and sports fans of any gender.
Praise for The Mighty Dynamo :
"There is enough breathless action and strong, believable sports flavor to this effort to make it an easy sell to those (male and female) that enjoy the sport. Go team!" ― Kirkus Reviews
"It tackles issues of bullying, sexism, and corruption without ever losing focus on Noah and his mates. Noah and his friends are well-crafted, multidimensional characters, as are the caring adults who try to help out Noah and his fledgling team." ― Booklist
"The writing is funny and characters well-developed... A true underdog story that will appeal to sports fans." ― School Library Journal
More than anything, Noah Murphy wants to be a professional soccer player―and participating in the Schools' World Cup qualifiers might be just what he needs to get scouted. But when he's suspiciously banned from his school team for something he didn't even do, all his dreams come crashing down.
Determined to live up to his reputation as a dynamo, Noah must find his own way to enter the contest no matter what it takes. With his best friend Stevie on tactics, and the skills of some unlikely new teammates, he's soon ready to take on the world―just as long as no one plays foul.
A chapter book that will delight reluctant readers and sports fans of any gender.
Praise for The Mighty Dynamo :
"There is enough breathless action and strong, believable sports flavor to this effort to make it an easy sell to those (male and female) that enjoy the sport. Go team!" ― Kirkus Reviews
"It tackles issues of bullying, sexism, and corruption without ever losing focus on Noah and his mates. Noah and his friends are well-crafted, multidimensional characters, as are the caring adults who try to help out Noah and his fledgling team." ― Booklist
"The writing is funny and characters well-developed... A true underdog story that will appeal to sports fans." ― School Library Journal
- GenresMiddle GradeSports
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2016
3 people are currently reading
1018 people want to read
About the author
Kieran Mark Crowley
7 books48 followersKieran Crowley is from Cork in Ireland. His first book, "Colm & the Lazarus Key" was shortlisted for the Bisto Children's Book of the Year Award 2010 and was followed by a sequel, "Colm & The Ghost's Revenge". His third book "The Mighty Dynamo" was shortlisted for the Hull Children's Book Award in 2017. "The Misfits Club" was published by Macmillan (Ire & UK) in 2017. "The Santa List" will be published by Scholastic in October 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
February 20, 2018
The Mighty Dynamo was a pretty good book. I would definitely recommend this book to sports lovers that like emotional stories. This is a Young Adult book. A young boy named Noah faces a challenge when he gets in a fight in a game and is accused for fighting him even though he didn’t touch him, the other player did. Noah ends up getting suspended until next year so he has to find create a new team with different players so that he can play in the School’s World Cup.
July 13, 2016
My kids really enjoyed this story. Not only did I read it to them but found them reading to each other!
June 30, 2018
Short Review
This fast, funny book for readers of 7+ tells the classic tale of a team of misfits’ impossible rise to glory. It’s packed full of action and great characters as well as humour by the bucketful. It moves along at a terrific pace and would be a most welcome addition to any school library. In my opinion, there isn’t enough sports fiction for kids, which is why sporty kids often stop reading fiction. Give them this and they’ll be crying out for more. Illustrated by Marta KIssi, The Mighty Dynamo has all the pace of Messi and the style of Ronaldo. See what I did there!
Long Review
Ever since reading Kieran Crowley’s debut, Colm and the Lazarus Key, I’ve been a fan, so I was delighted to receive The Mighty Dynamo to review. It’s a Middle Grade sports story about a boy called Noah Murphy who dreams of becoming a professional footballer. His chance comes when his school is entered in the Schools’ World Cup. Then, tragedy strikes, and Noah is kicked off the team for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, most kids would just accept the ruling, but not Noah. Using a loophole in the rules book, he sets up and enters his own team. But can Noah and his team of misfits pull off the impossible?
Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out!
My twenty years’ experience of teaching the age group that this book is aimed at, as well as having been a boy myself, has taught me that generally boys fall into two groups. And yes, I realise this is going to be a major generalisation, but bear with me. Group 1 are the popular, sporty kids, some readers, some not. Group 2 are the non-sporty, quirky, nerdy kids, some readers, some not. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but my guess is that most writers come from Group 2 and inevitably end up writing stuff that will appeal to Group 2 kids. This means there is a huge shortage of material for the Group 1 kids – books about sport and real life, because Group 1 kids mostly aren’t into the supernatural and dragons and space and monsters.
The Mighty Dynamo is just the sort of thing to fill this gap. And yes, I know there are plenty of sport-based books already, but in my opinion there’s not enough.
Like all great sports stories, there is a family drama or issue underpinning the plot, and in this case it is Noah’s impoverished circumstances. His mother is dead, his father has had to move to Australia for work, and his older sister has to work to keep bread on the table. All of this conveniently allows Noah to get up to his footballing antics and adventures without the interference of pesky parents.
The motley crew that Noah rounds up to enter the Schools’ World Cup are a diverse group of well-developed characters. And before you start thinking that this is a book full of boys, think again, because the story has some great female characters, too. Though I think it will mainly appeal to boys, and mainly to football fans, who will, I think, devour it.
It has everything a football fan loves – kick by kick description of the big matches, hilarious football quotes at the beginning of each chapter, lots of references to stars of the soccer world, and even a team-sheet and stats at the end. The chapters are also interspersed with quirky player profiles, which are nice intervals from the story.
Although it’s about soccer, it’s essentially a tale about friendship, loyalty, family, and justice. It moves along at a nice pace and has plenty of funny moments to ease the tension. It has the sort of villains we love to hate and is written in a confident but accessible language that will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers. The wonderful black and white illustrations by Marta Kissi are (like the story) funny, loose and full of character.
So, it’s a big thumbs up from me. Football fans will love it. Non-football fans? I’m not too sure, though there was plenty to keep this Group 2, non-footballing reader interested.
A welcome addition to the book market. Go read it!
This fast, funny book for readers of 7+ tells the classic tale of a team of misfits’ impossible rise to glory. It’s packed full of action and great characters as well as humour by the bucketful. It moves along at a terrific pace and would be a most welcome addition to any school library. In my opinion, there isn’t enough sports fiction for kids, which is why sporty kids often stop reading fiction. Give them this and they’ll be crying out for more. Illustrated by Marta KIssi, The Mighty Dynamo has all the pace of Messi and the style of Ronaldo. See what I did there!
Long Review
Ever since reading Kieran Crowley’s debut, Colm and the Lazarus Key, I’ve been a fan, so I was delighted to receive The Mighty Dynamo to review. It’s a Middle Grade sports story about a boy called Noah Murphy who dreams of becoming a professional footballer. His chance comes when his school is entered in the Schools’ World Cup. Then, tragedy strikes, and Noah is kicked off the team for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, most kids would just accept the ruling, but not Noah. Using a loophole in the rules book, he sets up and enters his own team. But can Noah and his team of misfits pull off the impossible?
Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out!
My twenty years’ experience of teaching the age group that this book is aimed at, as well as having been a boy myself, has taught me that generally boys fall into two groups. And yes, I realise this is going to be a major generalisation, but bear with me. Group 1 are the popular, sporty kids, some readers, some not. Group 2 are the non-sporty, quirky, nerdy kids, some readers, some not. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but my guess is that most writers come from Group 2 and inevitably end up writing stuff that will appeal to Group 2 kids. This means there is a huge shortage of material for the Group 1 kids – books about sport and real life, because Group 1 kids mostly aren’t into the supernatural and dragons and space and monsters.
The Mighty Dynamo is just the sort of thing to fill this gap. And yes, I know there are plenty of sport-based books already, but in my opinion there’s not enough.
Like all great sports stories, there is a family drama or issue underpinning the plot, and in this case it is Noah’s impoverished circumstances. His mother is dead, his father has had to move to Australia for work, and his older sister has to work to keep bread on the table. All of this conveniently allows Noah to get up to his footballing antics and adventures without the interference of pesky parents.
The motley crew that Noah rounds up to enter the Schools’ World Cup are a diverse group of well-developed characters. And before you start thinking that this is a book full of boys, think again, because the story has some great female characters, too. Though I think it will mainly appeal to boys, and mainly to football fans, who will, I think, devour it.
It has everything a football fan loves – kick by kick description of the big matches, hilarious football quotes at the beginning of each chapter, lots of references to stars of the soccer world, and even a team-sheet and stats at the end. The chapters are also interspersed with quirky player profiles, which are nice intervals from the story.
Although it’s about soccer, it’s essentially a tale about friendship, loyalty, family, and justice. It moves along at a nice pace and has plenty of funny moments to ease the tension. It has the sort of villains we love to hate and is written in a confident but accessible language that will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers. The wonderful black and white illustrations by Marta Kissi are (like the story) funny, loose and full of character.
So, it’s a big thumbs up from me. Football fans will love it. Non-football fans? I’m not too sure, though there was plenty to keep this Group 2, non-footballing reader interested.
A welcome addition to the book market. Go read it!
March 24, 2018
We bought this book for our daughter last year for her 9th birthday, because she loves soccer so much. Although she can read perfectly well herself, I read this one out loud to her each night and we had a great time reading it together.
At first it takes a little to get into, because it's set in Ireland so there's a few quirks about the setting and the way the characters speak that might seem a little bit different than an American book (I consider that a good thing). I joked around with my daughter that I would try to read it in an Irish accent, but she just laughed at me because my Irish accent was horrible!
My daughter really enjoyed this story about Noah and his drive to be a soccer player in the School's Cup. It's fairly complex for a children's book, so I'm glad we read it together. She has a familiarity with the world of "football" (the proper word for it in the UK/Ireland) because she plays soccer herself, and she's a huge Arsenal fan thanks to her father so is well versed in the English Premiere League teams. This story included interesting characters and plot as well as specific soccer details and play-by-play of the games, even though it wasn't just about sports. So this was definitely a hit at our house.
At first it takes a little to get into, because it's set in Ireland so there's a few quirks about the setting and the way the characters speak that might seem a little bit different than an American book (I consider that a good thing). I joked around with my daughter that I would try to read it in an Irish accent, but she just laughed at me because my Irish accent was horrible!
My daughter really enjoyed this story about Noah and his drive to be a soccer player in the School's Cup. It's fairly complex for a children's book, so I'm glad we read it together. She has a familiarity with the world of "football" (the proper word for it in the UK/Ireland) because she plays soccer herself, and she's a huge Arsenal fan thanks to her father so is well versed in the English Premiere League teams. This story included interesting characters and plot as well as specific soccer details and play-by-play of the games, even though it wasn't just about sports. So this was definitely a hit at our house.
November 26, 2017
Crowley, Kieran The Mighty Dynamo, 353 pages, Macmillan Publishing. 2016. $16.99. Language: G (0 swears, 0 "f"); Mature Content : G; Violence: G;
Noah Murphy dreams of being a professional soccer player more than anything! He works hard and is an all-around talented player. He hopes to be scouted to be a professional soccer player and to be able to help his father come back home again. After a fight on the field leads to him being kicked off the team, his hopes are dashed. Not only does Noah have to fight for his desire to be a professional soccer player, he also dreams to live up to his late mother's nickname, The Mighty Dynamo, for him.
This book is full of soccer as well as deep emotion. The devoted sports fan will enjoy this read, although there's a great deal soccer content for those that aren't into sports as much.
EL - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Amy, Elementary Teacher.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Noah Murphy dreams of being a professional soccer player more than anything! He works hard and is an all-around talented player. He hopes to be scouted to be a professional soccer player and to be able to help his father come back home again. After a fight on the field leads to him being kicked off the team, his hopes are dashed. Not only does Noah have to fight for his desire to be a professional soccer player, he also dreams to live up to his late mother's nickname, The Mighty Dynamo, for him.
This book is full of soccer as well as deep emotion. The devoted sports fan will enjoy this read, although there's a great deal soccer content for those that aren't into sports as much.
EL - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Amy, Elementary Teacher.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Read
January 31, 2023I really enjoyed reading my book. The book took me through a rollercoaster of emotions and I couldn't wait to read the next page. One reason why I liked it so much was because my favorite sport is soccer. The book is about a kids soccer career and it was really interesting to see other peoples soccer dreams. The second reason I liked this book was because I can relate to the main character. Noah is dreaming of becoming a professional soccer player and has to face the challenges that come with that dream. My dream used to be to become a professional soccer player and like Noah, I had to face many challenges. The third reason why I liked the book was because of the character descriptions throughout the book. After a new character was introduced, the author would include a description of the character which was really fun to read. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an underdog story and to anyone who enjoys sports books.
February 24, 2017
12-year-old Irish student Noah wants to play professional soccer, but loses his mojo when his father chooses to take a job in Australia. Noah and older sister, Simone, whose mother has died, are left to fend for themselves. Simone forgoes university to take on two jobs while father lives down under to make money to pay the mortgage. That is when Noah hears about the Schools' World Cup and decides that if his team wins the monetary prize, he'll be able to bring his dad home. Everything that can go awry does with bad guys, good guys, twists and turns and tension. Good story, but my two major reservations are (thinking about handing it to a student): It is very long (over 350 p.). It concentrates heavily on soccer, the game, the world's players, and more soccer. I enjoyed the story, but did try to picture which of my students--girl or boy--so enthusiastic about soccer that they would tackle this tome.
April 16, 2019
This book was so fun! I wish I could have read it as a kid—in the 1980s there were no kids’ novels about soccer—but it was a treat to read with my son. The story was suspenseful and emotionally engaging. And the story was really beautiful. I wish there was a sequel—I want to see what Noah and the Mighty Dynamo accomplish next season.
Quick note: if my 7-year-son didn’t like soccer so much, I think this book would have been too old for him. A lot of the humor is based on sarcasm, and the vocabulary was pretty advanced:. From a values perspective, though, the subject matter was totally appropriate for him.
Quick note: if my 7-year-son didn’t like soccer so much, I think this book would have been too old for him. A lot of the humor is based on sarcasm, and the vocabulary was pretty advanced:. From a values perspective, though, the subject matter was totally appropriate for him.
July 10, 2017
gr 4-6 355pgs
present day, Ireland 12 year old Noah is determined to find a way to bring his father home from Australia. After his mother's death, his father was forced to leave Ireland for work. Noah is convinced the only way to bring him home is to win the Schools' Soccer World Cup, be noticed by a scout, and become a professional soccer player. His plans come to a screeching halt when he is banned from playing soccer. Noah isn't willing to give up and along with some friends is determined to find a way to compete.
present day, Ireland 12 year old Noah is determined to find a way to bring his father home from Australia. After his mother's death, his father was forced to leave Ireland for work. Noah is convinced the only way to bring him home is to win the Schools' Soccer World Cup, be noticed by a scout, and become a professional soccer player. His plans come to a screeching halt when he is banned from playing soccer. Noah isn't willing to give up and along with some friends is determined to find a way to compete.
June 13, 2023
Me personally this is my favorite book i have so far for the entire summer and might sustain the title this book was a book I really enjoyed as it talks about Noah Murphy and how he and his group of friends fight all odds to play in the school's world cup to bring his father home from Australia and I must say this book touched my heart in a way I can not explain it truly deserves it's five star rating all in all cause it was funny, touching, sporty and many other word that would take up till the end of time as we know it so here I will end this bye thanks for reading the review.
August 30, 2020
Cute. A great choice for kids who are really into soccer. Set in Ireland but easy to understand, not being from there. I didn't expect the ending, and really wouldn't mind a sequel. The beginning was SLOW and I wish the ends of chapters weren't tied up so nicely - it didn't give me much reason to keep reading. Looking forward to booktalking it, though. Perfect for a MS library.
November 8, 2018
I read to my son each night before bed. This is the first full length novel we read. We usually do more Wimpy Kid type books. We are both soccer obsessed and loved the soccer action in this one. We would certainly be interested if there were ever a sequel book.
August 6, 2019
Loved this! I loved the story and the characters. I also loved all the Irish terminology/slang. Great book!! I'm so glad this book came into my life and that I read it. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author!
March 18, 2017
Watch Macy Kate's vlog review!
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August 3, 2018
A brilliant football themed story with lots of other themes running through it: friendship, team spirit, family, honesty, loyalty to name a few. Super mix of characters reflecting today’s world.
April 18, 2019
Lovely little story for those who like football/soccer. I also appreciate the references to MLS, and Maggie is an inspiration to female athletes!
February 26, 2017
This book was amazing
December 18, 2016
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. I wrongly assumed that because it was a "sports book" that I wouldn't like it and wouldn't be able to relate to it. I was wrong. There's a great cast of characters, a good plot, a nice mix of humour, emotional moments, and nail-biting tension. I liked the player profiles and that they wrote those themselves. I didn't always understand the quote at the start of the chapters, so I read them and shrugged, though I got that they were relevant to what was going to happen next.
The story moves at a fast pace, which makes sense because protagonist, Noah, is all about action and doing things. He does not like to stay still, and he's not much for the touchy-feely stuff or doing a lot of deep thinking. He tends to leave that to his best pal, Stevie. I think lots of kids can relate to that. Some people are more cerebral and others are more physical. They have a great partnership. I liked that the girls in the story get their own moments to shine. This is a book that everyone can enjoy. I didn't always understand the football references and terminology (I would love to know what "nutmegged" means), but that didn't stop me from reading the book and seeing whether the underdog team could succeed and whether Noah to get what he wanted.
This book might also appeal to reluctant readers or anyone who doesn't like a lot of description. Kieran has managed a nice balance in the text to set the scene and introduce his characters without bogging you down with unnecessary details. Definitely will be sending a copy to my nephew!
The story moves at a fast pace, which makes sense because protagonist, Noah, is all about action and doing things. He does not like to stay still, and he's not much for the touchy-feely stuff or doing a lot of deep thinking. He tends to leave that to his best pal, Stevie. I think lots of kids can relate to that. Some people are more cerebral and others are more physical. They have a great partnership. I liked that the girls in the story get their own moments to shine. This is a book that everyone can enjoy. I didn't always understand the football references and terminology (I would love to know what "nutmegged" means), but that didn't stop me from reading the book and seeing whether the underdog team could succeed and whether Noah to get what he wanted.
This book might also appeal to reluctant readers or anyone who doesn't like a lot of description. Kieran has managed a nice balance in the text to set the scene and introduce his characters without bogging you down with unnecessary details. Definitely will be sending a copy to my nephew!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews