Jaz Santos vs the World

Priscilla Mante's Jaz Santos vs the World is a football story for 8 year olds about a girl who's sure she can hold her family together if she just gets things right.

What happens

Jaz is in Year 6, plays left striker and has a record of thirty-three keepy-uppies. She also has a knack for trouble. There's the Laugh, which bursts out of her at exactly the wrong moment. There's Ridiculous Rosie, leader of the Very Irritating People (her name for them, not theirs). And there's Fussy Forrest, the deputy head-dragon.

At home, Mãe and Dad have started arguing. When they turn the telly up downstairs, Jaz knows a row is coming. So she makes deals with herself. If she cleans the kitchen, that's one less thing for them to fight about. If she beats her keepy-uppy record, maybe the rows will stop for good.

Her big hope is the lead part in the dance showcase, with Mãe in the front row. Then a cookery lesson goes horribly wrong. The cinnamon sits right next to the chilli powder on the spice rack, Rosie takes a big bite of Jaz's cake, and you can guess the rest. Jaz is banned from dance.

So she needs a new plan. She'll start a football team just for girls. That's a big ask when some of her classmates have never played football in their lives.

Jaz tells the story straight to you and she's great company. She tells you to boo whenever Rosie turns up. She drifts into World Cup commentary in the middle of ballet class ("Jaz! Jaz! She's our star!"). And she's funny even when things are really going wrong.

It's worth knowing the home stuff is real. There are shouting matches through the floorboards, and her mum's cigarette starts a small fire while Jaz is out, which ends with a firefighter warning her parents. For a child whose own parents are going through a tough patch, some scenes might hit close to home. For many, though, it could be a comfort to meet a girl who feels the same and still keeps going.

What to read next

If your reader loves the football as much as Jaz does, try The Dog That Saved the World (Cup). It's narrated by Pickles, a football-mad dog, whose best friend Elsie and her dad are a team of three against money worries at home.