Jake’s Great Game
by Ken Spillman and illustrated by Chris Nixon
“Jake’s Great Game” by Ken Spillman and illustrated by Chris Nixon. Published by Scholastic. A delightful story of Jake learning about how a game can become great and be enjoyed when played in its true spirit.
Jake aspires to play soccer like his friends Jonah and Benji. He has heard that it is a lot of fun. And he wants to have some too. It is very appealing to him. His dad takes him shopping and gets him a book on soccer playing tips. He buys him a pair of boots as well for playing soccer. He starts soccer classes with great enthusiasm. But he discovers soccer isn’t as easy to play as it seems.
Jake begins to find it overwhelming when he sees the others finding it quite easy to play while he himself is struggling. His dribbling looks like bad passing and his passing looks like bad dribbling. Despite his coach Rob being supportive, he starts feeling low and demotivated. His parents pitch in to make him understand that he needs time to learn and things will fall in place. They play with him to give him some practice and boost his morale before a game which he will be participating in. On the day of the game, Jake begins to feel that the game isn’t going to be great. Read the book to know how the game goes and what Jake is going to figure from it.
My 8.5 year old enjoyed reading the book a couple of months ago. I had got this book for him when he was 7 as he has been following soccer for some time now and likes playing it. He didn’t take to the book initially. When we tried reading it this year, he could relate well to Jake in many ways. He was pleased to see the adults in the book being so supportive of Jake and ensuring that he doesn’t give up playing. It becomes clear to the reader that every contribution no matter how small it may seem, does help in a game. That the fun is in participating and playing the game in full spirit is the message that comes through from the story. The book is part of a series by the same author featuring Jake. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this lovely book!
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 7+.
Reasons to Read
The qualities of sportsmanship and true spirit of a game have been portrayed well using the popular sport of soccer which is a favourite amongst most children.
Where to buy from?
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.