THE MILLION DOLLAR KICK

Dan Gutman's sports-related fiction has an enthusiastic following among middle-grade readers, usually male. The beauty of THE MILLION DOLLAR KICK is its female heroine, Whisper Nelson, and her developing confidence as a goal-keeper and a person. All ages will appreciate her spunky coming to terms with the Donut City contest , as well as the wealth of coaching information for soccer players, especially goalies. Christina Moore's youthful voice makes her a perfect narrator for teenaged characters. Her studied, flat affect and casualness bely the inner turmoil of Whisper's relationships with Jesse, the contest sponsors, her coaches, opponents, and her family. Moore moves easily from character to character, always keeping the listener eager for more. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]