The first in the Jasper Zammit trilogy begins with Jasper headbutting the ball into the other team’s goals, winning the game for them. He is so distracted with the pretend commentary of his amazing performance on field.
He dreams of being a superstar soccer player for Australia one day, but he never will be if the daydreams and running commentary in his head don’t stop. Before every game, his coach needs to remind him: ‘No daydreaming!’
When a new girl, Lil, joins the team, Jasper has a whole new challenge ahead.
To begin with, Lil’s dad takes over the company that Jasper’s dad works for and makes Mr. Zammit work late nights and weekends, meaning he misses his son’s soccer games. This leads Jasper’s dad to leave his job to do what he thinks is the right thing for his family. But Jasper’s grandad has other ideas, and the two come to blows, creating tension throughout the family.
Together, Jasper and Lil must find a way to make things right in Jasper’s family again.
Even worse, being around Lil makes Jasper all nervous, falling over all the time and saying weird things. How is he going to get through this?
The Game of Life intertwines soccer and life, and this is apparent from the beginning of the first chapter. Chapters are named ‘Rule 1’, ‘Rule 2’, and so on, outlining the top rules of playing a great soccer game that also match with positive ways to live life.
This follows with some tips and anecdotes from Australian soccer legend Johnny Warren, all of which are humorous and interesting, acting as a unique introduction to each chapter.
The Game of Life is a fun and motivational read for sports-mad kids. And they won’t be able to wait to read the other books in the series, to see what happens to Jasper and the team for the remainder of the season.
Teaching notes
Also in this series:
Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend): The Striker
Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend): The Finals
Title: Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend): The Game of Life
Author: Deborah Abela, with Johnny Warren
Publisher: Random House, $14.95 RRP
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781741660661
For ages: 8 – 12
Type: Junior Fiction
