Kick

Product Information

We know this is the start of a long and glittering career for Mitch, and are thrilled to have played a part in bringing this book to readers everywhere. At a time when many children’s books seem to be looking inward, Mitch Johnson has written a book about a global issue, encouraging children to think about the way the world works, and even how they could effect change. When an earthquake strikes, causing some buildings to crumble, killing Rochy's family and also leading to the death of Budi's grandmother, it is particularly challenging.

Kick by Mitch Johnson | WHSmith Kick by Mitch Johnson | WHSmith

The book was chosen during the time that the Euro2020 competition was occurring, meaning the children's excitement for the book was heightened due to its link to football. I think everyone should read this whether you like football or not, because it is such an important story, tackling real issues, but so full of heart and hope. This is a heart-warming story about Budi, who lives on the gritty streets of an island in Indonesia, and his dream of one day playing for Real Madrid and scoring at the Bernabeu. His grandmother often tells Budi stories in the evening and one of the stories features a boy who lives on an island with a very tall coconut tree.

Budi is 11 and trains with his friends to be a professional football player like his hero Kieran Wakefield who plays for Real Madrid. Tapi ternyata salah besar, aku mengakui kelihaian penulis memunculkan konflik-konflik baru dan menyelesaikannya satu persatu. Now more than ever, I believe we need characters like Budi who are filled with goodness and dreams and the desire for a better world. I found this book a bit disjointed and felt that it took a long time to cover Budi's early life in Jakarta, leading up to the climax of the novel, where he meets the Dragon. The adjectives had me enthralled and at one point when the story was at it's peak, I felt as if I was really there.

kick | mitch johnson kick | mitch johnson

A deflected kick of the football that smashes through the local tyrant’s window and sends Budi’s life into a whole new direction and puts him firmly in the sights of the Dragon. Ways of doing that might have been to make the book a bit longer and to make the writing style a bit more literary and just to expand on the themes and story perspective.

The child-labour described in this story remind us that there are parts of the world where education is a luxury; children have bring in money to support the family. It is rumoured that the coconuts have this special milk which brings good fortune to those who drink it and everyone is scared of climbing the tree because it is far too tall and dangerous. Konfliknya mulai terasa pada suatu sore ketika Budi berlatih bola— itu hanya karena dia tidak suka menyebutnya bermain, lebih bangga menyebutnya berlatih— di sepetak tanah kosong bersama teman-temannya. This book is endorsed by Amnesty International and the reasons for this are made explicitly clear throughout. And when Budi attracts the notice of the dangerous Dragon, it seems less and less likely that he will ever achieve his dream.

Kick by Mitch Johnson (9781474928151/Paperback) - LoveReading4Kids Kick by Mitch Johnson (9781474928151/Paperback) -

Ketika membaca kisah Budi, aku sama sekali tidak merasa buku ini digarap penulis luar (baca : Mitch Johnson). Even with his family in poverty, surrounded by crime lords and unsettling people, he plays in the streets of Malaysia until dark. Kick starts full of information about football, which as somebody unfamiliar with certain terms, I had to take my time with taking in the story.A thread that constantly came back in this book was the lesson to follow your dreams and follow them no matter what difficulties lie ahead. One thing I found interesting here is that on the back, it says this book is good for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce. I think Johnson tries to cover it up with comparisons to football but as an adult reading this, I can see past it. I understand why the publishers have done it because they want the book to appeal to the audience which the book is written for.