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Valeria “Magic” Salomón lives for soccer, and she’s more than proved her mettle as the lone girl on her grandfather’s decorated team, the Overlords. They’re poised to dominate the state championship until a host of things goes wrong: her aunt is near death in Argentina, her absent father misses another important game, and Valeria gets her first period in the middle of a semifinals match and has to leave the field. When the team is ultimately eliminated, Valeria is sure that something has shifted between her and the otherwise all-male squad, and her fears are confirmed when she overhears a conversation about her leaving her beloved Overlords—a decision that her grandfather immediately affirms. Feeling betrayed and lost, Valeria is eager to join the talented girls’ team, but will they accept her when she’s overlooked them for so long? The wonderfully wide-ranging story will appeal to readers both inside the sports sphere and not, and it touches on an incredible variety of topics, all treated with equal importance. Complicated, caring family dynamics and gorgeous friendships that overcome the bumps of adolescence are beautiful to behold. There are also thought-provoking meditations on grief, the immigrant experience, and gendered-sports struggles. Frank (and often funny) discussions of menstruation and period products are another welcome inclusion. An emotional and engaging examination of the fundamentals: family, friendship, and fútbol.

Publishers Weekly
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The start of her first period—mid-game in white shorts—marks the beginning of a transformative summer for incoming eighth grade soccer player Valeria. Coached by her abuelo, with whom she lives, Valeria always played on the boys’ team, but the game during which she got her period turns out to be her last with them. Valeria remains undeterred: “I’d learned that when one door closes, I had to be strong enough to smash down a wall and make a new one.” Seeking out the best girls’ coach in Utah, she earns a spot on the Amazons and struggles to find her place among her new teammates’ “sisterhood.” While Valeria navigates the bodily discomforts of severe menstruation symptoms, family tragedy necessitates her cousin Maxwell moving into her home—and into the role she vacated on her old team. Growing emotional maturity accompanies physical maturation as Valeria learns to manage intense emotions, embrace family changes, and step outside her comfort zone to bond with the Amazons. Méndez (Furia) fluidly combines the challenges of growing up and the pressure of elite athletic competition in this winning novel. Valeria cues as having Argentinian ancestry. Ages 9–up. Agent: Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Sept.)