by Sujei Lugo

For the next couple of weeks, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, one of the world’s biggest sports events, will be held in Russia. This international soccer/fútbol competition brings spectators of all kinds together, drawing on their common passion—and this applies to avid fans who follow the sport throughout the year, as well as those who only pay attention every four years when the World Cup is played. Either way, this is the time to catch up with the latest players and root for your favorite team/country.

I live and work in a neighborhood where the caregivers of my library’s kids are often watching fútbol games on their phones, and where once in a while the little ones wear their favorite player’s jersey, or that of their parents’ or grandparents’ national team. It is one of those times when we break down certain barriers of communication with neighbors, family, friends, co-workers, and the people sitting next to us—because we are all speaking fútbol.

Like my fellow children’s librarians, the time for summer reading/learning programs is upon us, and we are always eager to support and encourage recreational and informational reading for our youth. The 2018 FIFA World Cup is a great opportunity to showcase our fútbol/soccer children’s books, and to start or continue conversations with our small patrons—and root (or debate!) together.

I posted a picture on my social-media accounts of the fútbol children’s books display that I put together at my library, along with coloring sheets of this year’s World Cup mascot, Zabivaka! My great colleagues Angie Manfredi and Cory Eckert suggested that I should assemble a bibliography of these books, and well, here it is! Included here are titles in Spanish and English, as well as bilingual editions, and it contains everything from early readers to graphic novels to chapter books. The majority of these titles are by Latinx or Latin American authors or illustrators. Many feature Latinx or Latin American characters and players, but I also included more general titles about the game and its players. My list focuses on books available at my library branch, but we know there are many more great ones out there! I hope this list inspires you to get your library display going, or perhaps to acquire some of these winners for your library, classroom, or home shelf, all for your favorite little ones!

Fútbol/Soccer Children’s Literature Bibliography

Alexander, Kwame (2016). Booked. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. [Chapter Book; Novel in Verse]

Apps, Roy; illustrated by Chris King (2015). Dream to Win: Leo Messi. Franklin Watts. [Early Readers; Biography]

Boelts, Maribeth; illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2015). El fútbol me hace feliz. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Boelts, Maribeth; illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2012). Happy Like Soccer. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Borth, Teddy (2017). Fútbol: grandes momentos, récords y datos. Abdo Kids. [Early Readers]

Brown, Monica; illustrated by Angela Dominguez (2015). Lola Levine is not Mean! Little, Brown and Company. [Early Readers]

Brown, Monica; illustrated by Rudy Gutiérrez (2009). Pelé: King of Soccer/Pelé: el rey del fútbol. Rayo. [Picture Book; Biography; Bilingual]

Cline-Ransome, Lesa; illustrated by James E. Ransome (2007). Young Pelé: Soccer’s First Star. Schwartz & Wade Books. [Picture Book; Biography]

Colato Laínez, René; illustrated by Lancman Ink (2014). ¡Juguemos al fútbol y al football!/Let’s Play Fútbol and Football! Alfaguara. [Picture Book; Bilingual]

Crespo, Ana; illustrated by Nana Gonzalez (2015). The Sock Thief. Albert Whitman & Company. [Picture Book]

Dahl, Michael; illustrated by Christina Forshay (2018). Goodnight Soccer. Capstone Young Readers. [Picture Book]

Doeden, Matt (2017). Sports All-Stars: Cristiano Ronaldo. Lerner Publications. [Biography]

Domínguez, María & Juan Pablo Lombana (2014). El Chavo: El partido de fútbol/The Soccer Match. Scholastic. [Picture Book; Bilingual]

Duopresslabs; illustrated by Jon Stollberg (2016). Messi superstar. ¡Achis! [Biography]

Elzaurdia, Paco (2013). Superestrellas del fútbol mexicano: Rafael Márquez. Mason Crest. [Biography]

Franz Rosell, Joel; illustrated by Constanze v. Kitzing (2012). Gatito y el balón. Kalandraka. [Picture Book]

Garlando, Luigi; illustrated by Stefano Turconi (2012) ¡Gol! Un gran equipo. Vintage Español. [Chapter Book & Comics]

Javaherbin, Mina; illustrated by Renato Alarcão (2014). Soccer Star. Candlewick Press. [Picture Book]

Jökulsson, Illugi (2015). James Rodríguez. Abbeville Press. [Biography]

Jökulsson, Illugi (2015). Stars of Women’s Soccer. Abbeville Press. [Biographies]

Jökulsson, Illugi (2015). Stars of World Soccer. Abbeville Press. [Biographies]

Lombana, Juan Pablo; illustrated by Zamie Casazola (2014). Soccermania/Futbolmanía. Scholastic, Inc. [Bilingual]

Manushkin, Fran; illustrated by Tammie Lyon (2018). Pedro: el golazo de Pedro. Picture Window Books. [Early Readers]

Morgan, Alex (2016). The Kicks: Settle the Score. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. [Chapter Book]

Nevius, Carol; illustrated by Bill Thomson (2011). Soccer Hour. Marshall Cavendish Children. [Picture Book]

Oldfield, Tom & Matt Oldfield (2017). The Little Genius: Sergio Agüero. Dino. [Biography]

Oldfield, Tom & Matt Oldfield (2016). El pistolero: Luis Suárez. Dino. [Biography]

Paul, Batiste; illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara (2018). The Field. NorthSouth Books. [Picture Book]

Pelé; illustrated by Frank Morrison (2010). For the Love of Soccer! Disney Hyperion. [Picture Book]

Pérez Hernando, Fernando (2016). Armando. Takatuka. [Picture Book]

Pinkney, Brian (2015). On the Ball. Disney Hyperion. [Picture Book]

Radnedge, Aidan (2018). 50 Things You Should Know About Soccer. Quarto Publishing.

Simon, Eddy; illustrated by Vincent Brascaglia (2017). Pelé: the King of Soccer. First Second. [Graphic Novel]

Teixeira Thiago, Jorge (2013). Superestrellas del fútbol brasilero: Neymar. Mason Crest. [Biography]

Vázquez Lozano, Gustavo A. (2013). Superstars of Soccer Colombia: Iván Córdoba. Mason Crest. [Biography]

Vázquez Lozano, Gustavo A. (2013). Superstars of Soccer Mexico: Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. Mason Crest. [Biography]