Winners Never Quit!

by Mia Hamm, Carol Thompson (Illustrator)

Overview

Mia Hamm, American soccer champion and best–selling author of Go for the Goal, tells a true–life–inspired story of learning that winning and losing aren't as important as being part of a team.

More than anyone, soccer superstar Mia Hamm knows the value of teamwork and perseverance. She shares this lesson, paired with energetic illustrations by Carol Thompson, in this motivational story perfect for soccer kids and their soccer moms!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060740528
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/25/2006
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	88,336
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.07(d)
Lexile:	290L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mia Hamm, star of the U.S. National Soccer Team, Olympic Gold Medalist, World Cup champion, and five-time U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, is the world's greatest female soccer player. She serves as an important role model for children, inspiring them to strive for their dreams. In 1999 she formed the Mia Hamm Foundation benefiting bone marrow disease patients and their families, as well as providing athletic opportunities for young women. Mia is the author of the national bestseller Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life. When she is not traveling the world playing soccer, she resides in Austin, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Superstar soccer player Mia Hamm kicks up a high-scoring picture book for kids about winning, losing, and being part of a team. With friendly, summery watercolor illustrations from Carol Thompson -- not to mention a free photo of Mia Hamm inside -- the author tells the story of little Mia, a sports-loving girl who particularly adores playing soccer with her siblings. It's obvious that Mia has talent on the soccer field, but when she has trouble scoring goals, she loses interest in the game. Unfortunately for her, Mia's brother and sister don't care to play with quitters, and the next day they make her stand on the sidelines to watch. After some time, though, Mia gets the picture about being a good sport: "Maybe she'd score the goal. Maybe she wouldn't. But she was playing." Readers learn, too, that playing "was more important than winning or losing." A lighthearted picture book with a simple message, Hamm's debut as a picture book author is a first-rate effort. Kids will also be thankful for the author's note and shots of Hamm's life in back, and the action photo is ultra-cool for fans to display. This read is a sure bet to keep kids in the game. Matt Warner

bn.com

Even superstar athletes don't come out on top every time. That's the name of the game in this slight picture book about soccer phenomenon Hamm's early lessons in being a good sport. Young Mia loves the cheers she receives when she routinely scores soccer goals in the local games with her siblings and friends. But when things don't go her way-and the ball doesn't go into the net-Mia announces "I quit!" Her poor attitude gets her left out of the action, as nobody likes to play with a whiner and a quitter. "If you can't learn to lose, you can't play," warns Mia's older sister Lovdy. Fortunately, the heroine has an epiphany ("She didn't hate losing as much as she loved soccer") and before long Mia's back, sporting her shin guards. Hamm's (Go for the Goal) message, sure to reach a wide audience of young soccer fans, is important, even if the delivery is a bit on the trite side. Thompson's (A New Room for William) loose-edged pencil-and-watercolor compositions, in both vignettes and full-page scenes, capture the zippy energy of the kids on the field. A brief author's note, scrapbook-style spread and frame-ready autographed photo bring this attractive package to a close. Ages 4-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

This light-hearted tale by a real-life female sports heroine begins with her early soccer-playing days. One day, when she cannot seem to score, she quits; she'd rather quit than lose. Her friends do not want to play with her any more if she can't learn to lose. She finally realizes that she wants to play; that playing is more important than winning or losing. A final direct message from Mia herself reinforces the simple but important lesson: learn how to play as part of a team and how to lose gracefully. Right from the jacket picture of an active young girl chasing a soccer ball throughout the multiple images inside as she makes her choices there is a consistent spirit of high enthusiasm, a spilling over of energy flowing from the pages. Thompson's watercolor sketches obviously derive from observations of youngsters at play. Along with a personal message, there are photographs of a grown-up Hamm in action at the end for interested fans. But they do not convey as much fun as the illustrations. 2004, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 4 to 7.
—Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Children's Literature

PreS-Gr 2-Mia's favorite sport is soccer but she hates losing. In fact, she dislikes it so much that she quits in the middle of a game. Upset about her attitude, her siblings do not let her participate the next day. Mia learns quickly that there will be times when she will score a goal and those when she will not, but playing the game is the most fun of all. Bright, energetic cartoons depict the child's ups and downs. Attractive endpapers contain colorful sketches of the girl progressing from birth (showing a soccer ball given as a baby gift) through stretching activities, trials of not scoring, and the final celebration of the sport. The text represents the mixed feelings of all athletes learning the game. Parents or coaches wanting a story about the joy of playing soccer without emphasizing winning or losing will find an appropriate read-aloud here.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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