Who Was Pelé?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by James Buckley Jr.

The story of a poor boy from Brazil who became the greatest soccer player of all time and one of the most important athletes of the twentieth century!

His parents may have named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but to the rest of the world, he is known as Pel'. The now-retired professional soccer forward stunned Brazil when he began playing for the Santos soccer club at age fifteen. He then went on to captivate the world when he joined his country's national soccer team and helped them win three World Cup championships. Although he's hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in soccer, Pel' has been an influential person both on and off the pitch. His work with organizations like UNICEF has helped improve conditions for children around the world. Young readers can learn more about the man who connected soccer with the phrase "The Beautiful Game."

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Sports, History, Childrens, Biography Memoir, Chapter Books

112 pages, Paperback

Published June 5, 2018

About the author

In addition to his work as a professional editor, James Buckley, Jr., is also the author of many books on American sports that are geared toward young fans and budding athletes.

Buckley, who has founded a company called Shoreline Publishing Group to produce books for reluctant readers, maintains that sports are far more than simple hobbies or ways to burn off excess energy.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was disappointed that this book skipped right over 1968: Olympics in Mexico. The Brazilian team was staying two blocks from our house (in Guadalajara) and we went to meet them. They were all chillin' with their feet up on the tables. Pelé was there.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on Dec 8, 2022 and Pele passed away on Dec 29, 2022. Pele was the GOAT of his time and will always be known as a legend of futbol. RIP.

[Lena Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Who Is Pele" is a chapter book written by James Buckley Jr. and illustrated by Andrew Thomson. The book is a part of the popular "Who Is" series, which introduces young readers to important historical figures.

The main character of the book is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as Pele, who is a legendary Brazilian soccer player. The book explores Pele's childhood, his rise to fame, and his impact on the world of soccer.

The setting of the book is mainly in Brazil, where Pele was born and raised. The author describes the poverty and challenges that Pele faced growing up, as well as the vibrant soccer culture that existed in Brazil at the time.

The book is illustrated with black and white drawings that help bring the story to life. The illustrations depict Pele in action on the soccer field, as well as his family and friends.

The plot of the book follows Pele's journey from a young boy with a love for soccer to becoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Along the way, readers learn about the obstacles Pele faced, including discrimination and injury, and how he overcame them to achieve his dreams.

Overall, "Who Is Pele" is an engaging and informative chapter book that is perfect for young readers who are interested in sports, history, or biographies. The book teaches valuable lessons about perseverance, hard work, and the power of pursuing your passions

[Angel Gomez-Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book due to the fact that I love soccer. Pele is described as one of the best soccer players to ever live and is a star brazilian player to many. Pele’s real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. He was born to a poor brazilian family, but dealt with everything as he was supported by his family. Pele did have the opportunity to go to school which is where he received his nickname of “pele”. He had this love for soccer in him and played for large amounts of time. Soon people started to see his talent and he signed for a soccer team called Santos. He played 19 seasons there. He later signed for New York Cosmos for the 1975 season of the NASL. Pele scored 1,283 goals, but 526 of those were in unofficial friendlies and tour games which is a crazy amount of goals which is a big part on why people call him the greatest of all time. Pele won many awards in his time and was even named the player of the century. I would recommend this book to people who like soccer and are interested in famous players like Pele.

[Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun to read and I really liked it. I really enjoyed this book because it was about a really good soccer player and I used to play soccer. This book was about how a little boys dream was to play soccer in the big leagues and become the best. When Pele was a boy he was very poor and he was from Brazil. He got better and better and he decided to try out for the world cup in 1958. His performance was amazing and he immediately went to the big leagues. He played professionally in Brazil for 2 decades and then he went to the New York Cosmos late in his career and finished with them. He won 3 world cups in his career and is arguably one of the best that ever lived.

I thought this book was interesting. I liked this book because I can relate to Pele because I played soccer and I was really good. I would recommend this book to someone that likes soccer and plays soccer. I would also recommend this book to someone that believes they can achieve anything. I really enjoyed this book and I hope whoever reads it enjoyed it as much as I did.

[Jack Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

His family may have named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento, yet to the remainder of the world, he is known as Pelé. The now-resigned proficient soccer forward staggered Brazil when he started playing for the Santos soccer club at age fifteen. He at that point proceeded to dazzle the world when he joined his nation's national soccer group and helped them win three World Cup titles. Despite the fact that he's hailed as a national legend for his achievements in soccer, Pelé has been a powerful individual both on and off the pitch. His work with associations like UNICEF has improved conditions for youngsters around the globe. Youthful perusers can get familiar with the man who associated soccer with the expression "The Beautiful Game."

I really liked this book because in this series you really learn a lot about a person in a little bit of time. This specif book was no exception, it also contains lots of pictures, diagrams, and fun facts.

I would recomend this book to a sports fan.

[David Rough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This enjoyable biography for young readers reviewed the life of internationally known soccer player, Pele. I remember watching him as a boy in sports highlights. It seemed like he captured the hearts of many Americans - even those, like mine, that did not have much exposure to the sport.

This bio is filled with backstory and highlights of Pele's soccer career. Unfortunately, Pele was not the best role model in his personal life. He was married three times (plus several affairs - not emphasized in this book). This biography simply stated the facts of his marriages but I find it sad that his exemplary dedication to his sport did not transfer into a dedication to family.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up we did not have soccer teams during my youth. It was not until my nieces and nephews were of junior high school age that I even remember there being a soccer field in the town where I grew up. The only thing I knew about soccer was some guy named Pele. The sport really didn't become popular until several years after I graduated high school. This book shows how Pele got his name and made his reputation as a world renown soccer player. If you have children who play soccer it would be worthwhile to have them read this book.

[Sebastian Parra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have already watched the movie about his life, and i really liked it. This book is similar but I would totally recommend the movie. It has more facts about him than the book. The author did well when he added pictures to the book to a get a good image of what’s happening. To make the book better, I would add more facts and make the book longer. All themes are realistic because this is a biography. They are no unrealistic themes.

[Karina Cortes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great introduction to Pelé! Not only does it talk about his life growing up Poor in Brazil but also about his family and career. The book also gives a brief history of soccer too! This is the first book from this series I have read and it got rave reviews from the kiddo as well! He wants to read more books from the series! It’s good for introducing kids to the game of soccer, poverty, and challenges of being an athlete.

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pelé was a homesick boy from Brazil. In brazil he practiced soccer with his friends using a SOCKer ball. Eventually he practices with the best people from Brazil and at a very young age made it to the World Cup and led his team to a victory. The book is written in such a way that almost any age can enjoy and learn. This book is very well made and well written and I think everyone will enjoy it!

[Eduardo Lemus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very good and one of my favorites. This book is about a poor boy from Brazil named Pele and his journey to becoming one of the greatest soccer players. It talks about the struggles he went through to become the person he became. I love the detail the book provides about his life and I think soccer fans should read this.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

After all the recess debate about Messi or Ronaldo, we thought it was time to ground our kids in some futbol history. The kids stayed relatively engaged as we read about the life, challenges, and successes of Pele. We'll have to follow this with a movie or document to make Pele come alive for the kids. Hopefully they'll at least give Pele an entry into the debate for the GOAT.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really good and very short. It is really interesting if either you want to know about pele of if your a fan of pele. It shows all his life story and its very interesting and i read it in a day and it was super short. It has a lot of pictures with full of facts and truths about him.

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. It gives informative details about what happened in Pelé’s life. I like how this book incorporates pictures on each page so that you can get a better idea of what event occurred. Although I’m not really a fan of the sport soccer, I enjoyed reading this book.

[Jennybeast · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it's wonderful to see a short biography of Pele for younger kids, but this one just didn't do it for me. A little too choppy, a little too focused on the soccer and not on either his controversies or his big achievements -- they are mostly mentioned, but they don't sing out.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of Pele from his childhood in a tiny village where the kids used an old sock stuffed with rags for a soccer ball. He didn't have shoes until he was 7. Even while he was a big star in Brazil, he didn't make what we think a professional athlete makes.

[Sachin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book and it was very informative. I thought it was going to be very boring but Pele's humanity gave the book its life. I hope you read this book. It can be considered a great piece of Non-Fiction

[Landon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about a famous soccer player who went through hardships growing up. He gets to play for a professional team at 15 and is regarded as one of the best soccer players. I suggest this book if you like soccer.

[Vihaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is really good because I play soccer now. After reading this book I know how to become a dream player in soccer. I was surprised to see that just because of one player (Pelé) a team won 3 world cups ! I recommend you to read this book if like to play soccer.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my son for homework. Found Pele's story to be very interesting and inspiring.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting nickname.

[North Landesman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Son loved it. A bit boring for my taste.

[I_love_bookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like soccer you should read this book.

[John Asuncion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that you should always find a way to do what you love even though he didn’t have shoes to play soccer he never gave up and became a soccer star.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating man Pele is. He is a good humanitarian.
I have heard little about Pele, I knew he was great at soccer. But I didn't know all the good he did.
A wonderful story.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. If you like soccer then this is a good book for you. It was a fun and entertaining book I enjoyed it.

[K Morlando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative children's book, we enjoyed learning about this

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In honor of The GOAT. ❤️

[Salvatore Durazzo]

good