Pelé: The King of Soccer

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known to his schoolmates as Pel , grew up in poverty in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil. He was too poor to afford a real soccer ball, so he played with a ball of newspaper tied together with string. Yet he dominated the youth leagues and signed his first professional soccer contract at the age of fifteen. Within two years he was celebrated internationally, when he led Brazil to victory at the world cup. Known by his fans as O Rei (The King), Pel is widely regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time. But he's more than just an athlete: he also traveled the world as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Pel is the living symbol of a sport he dubbed the beautiful game--a game that brings people together regardless of race or nationality.

In the graphic novel Pele: The King of Soccer, Eddy Simon and Vincent Brascaglia beautifully depict Pele's rise from the slums of Brazil to the national stage.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: First Second
Published: 10/24/2017
ISBN: 9781626727557
Pages: 144
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.00w x 0.30d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2017 pg. 138
Publishers Weekly 09/11/2017
Booklist 10/15/2017 pg. 34
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2017
School Library Journal 02/01/2018
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2018 pg. 227 - Recommended, Satisfactory

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 196236 / Pele, the King of Soccer
Reading Level: 4.7 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 2