Soldier's Game by James Killgore follows Ross, a young football (soccer) player named Ross as he learns the story of his great grandfather. His great grandfather was a professional football player who (along with his entire team) joins the military and goes off to fight in the great war.
This is a fantastic book that combines sports and war history. The reader is taken into the life of the soldier so they can really understand what it was like to be a soldier during world war one without feeling like you're stuck in a history book and the football sequences were fantastic. There is a nice set of facts at the back so readers can get information about the war. It is a short and quick read.
Appropriateness: This is the perfect book for intermediate and middle school boys. It is short (around 160 pages) and is full of sports and battle scenes that will encourage reluctant readers. The war sequences are brutal but not graphic. Ross is around 12 and while his great grandfather Jack is an adult the story is told in a way that will engage younger readers (a soccer star goes to war). I would encourage teachers and librarians to get a copy to put on your shelf.
Review copy obtained by netgalley
