The Wild Soccer Bunch is a huge children’s hit overseas; there have been 5 movies made in Germany that spawned from the books and the series is almost legendary with the kids there.
Lucky for us North Americans, the series has now been published in English and is available for us to share with our children.
Kevin the Star Striker is the first in the series and introduces us to the Wild Bunch and their nemesis, the Unbeatables. I like children’s books and movies about sports teams, because the themes of getting along, working together and supporting your friends are always prevalent. I was also impressed that the book was well written, the descriptive phrasing was impressive and well narrated by one of the characters.
The story was cute and entertaining and my son loved it and can’t wait for the next in the series. I too enjoyed it and think they would make excellent movies if one was to produce them in English for a different market.
There are more coming in the series, the next due out in December. You can also visit the website at http://www.wildsoccerbunch.com.
Reading level: ages 9-12
Page Count: 152 pages
Publisher: Sole Books
Publisher’s synopsis: When the last of the snow has finally melted, soccer season starts!
Kevin the Star Striker and The Wild Bunch rush to their field. They have found that Mickey the bulldozer and his gang, the Unbeatables, have taken over. Kevin and his friends challenge the Unbeatables to the biggest game of their lives.
Can the Wild Bunch defeat the Unbeatables, or lose their field of dreams forever? Can they do what no team has done before?
Author: Joachim Masannek studied Philosophy and German Studies at The College of Film and Television.He received awards for In Leibe, Catherine (In Love, Catherine), and Der Pampelmusenmod (The Grapefruit Moon), films that he produced as a student. After completing his studies, Masannek worked as a cameraman, screenwriter and director for film, television, and studio productions. Joachim Masannek was the coach of a kids’ soccer team, which inspired his creation of The Wild Soccer Bunch. His mission is to encourage children worldwide to live by their values they learn by playing the game of soccer: courage, teamwork, and friendship. He presently lives in Munich with his beloved sons, Leon and Marlo.
The Illustrator: Jan Birck began his career as a freelance illustrator in an atelier in Munich, working for renowned advertising agencies (name two of them). During this time, he and his wife launched Dreamotion Media, a company that develops books, films, and DVDs. Birck has earned his reputation as one of the world’s finest illustrators of children’s books, with drawings that have appeared in hundreds of publications. He presently lives in Munich with his wife and sons, Timo and Finn.