- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Peachtree Publishers; 1 edition (April 8 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1561453099
- ISBN-13: 978-1561453092
- Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 16.1 x 2.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 454 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,086,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7–Irene Benenati, 13, is living in Italy with her family for one year. Because there are no girls' soccer teams in Merano, she must play on the boys' team. Daily, the teen faces the reality that she is an outsider in her father's homeland and an outsider on a team with a few boys who want her to quit. Nonetheless, this likable protagonist befriends the girls in her class and finally wins the respect of her teammates, even her arch detractor. What keeps this tale from being just another soccer story with play-by-play action is the unique setting; the inventiveness of the chapter headings, which consist of Italian words, pronunciations, and definitions; and Irene's determination.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"What keeps this tale from being just another soccer story with play-by-play action is the unique setting; the inventiveness of the chapter headings, which consist of Italian words, pronunciations, and definitions; and Irene's determination." --School Library Journal
"Soccer fans, especially girls, will appreciate the well-drawn action sequences and Irene's feisty spirit." --Horn Book Guide
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for soccer fans,
By A Customer
This review is from: Defending Irene (Hardcover)
Though the story here revolves around soccer--specifically whether or not Irene will ever manage to be accepted as a real player by an otherwise all-male (and male chauvinist) soccer team--and there's plenty of action on the field, it's more than a standard-issue sports story. The characters here are individual and believable and multi-faceted, and the relationships between them are realistic. Kristin Nitz has an engaging style and a great ear for dialogue. As a bonus, she provides the reader with a good deal of information along the way about Italy and the Italian language without being heavy-handed about it. But best thing about the book, to my mind, is the ending. I don't want to spoil it, so let me just say that it's satisfying without attempting to tie everything up TOO neatly, as books--especially books for young readers--too often do.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irene has spunk!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Defending Irene (Hardcover)
First of all, the mountainous setting in Italy was a delightful place to find this American-Italian family. I enjoyed the mix of English and Italian sprinkled throughout the book. Irene was a strong, feisty character who mixed it up with the boys and held her ground. I'm not much of a soccer fan, but the game scenes were great and easy to follow. I think girls will enjoy Irene's journey and boys will like the sporting excitement. My 10 year old son enjoyed it and I highly recommend it!!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews) 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for soccer fans,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Defending Irene (Hardcover)
Though the story here revolves around soccer--specifically whether or not Irene will ever manage to be accepted as a real player by an otherwise all-male (and male chauvinist) soccer team--and there's plenty of action on the field, it's more than a standard-issue sports story. The characters here are individual and believable and multi-faceted, and the relationships between them are realistic. Kristin Nitz has an engaging style and a great ear for dialogue. As a bonus, she provides the reader with a good deal of information along the way about Italy and the Italian language without being heavy-handed about it. But best thing about the book, to my mind, is the ending. I don't want to spoil it, so let me just say that it's satisfying without attempting to tie everything up TOO neatly, as books--especially books for young readers--too often do.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irene has spunk!,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Defending Irene (Hardcover)
First of all, the mountainous setting in Italy was a delightful place to find this American-Italian family. I enjoyed the mix of English and Italian sprinkled throughout the book. Irene was a strong, feisty character who mixed it up with the boys and held her ground. I'm not much of a soccer fan, but the game scenes were great and easy to follow. I think girls will enjoy Irene's journey and boys will like the sporting excitement. My 10 year old son enjoyed it and I highly recommend it!!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!,
By Gofish - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Defending Irene (Hardcover)
Defending Irene is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The main character, Irene, 13, is someone you can identify with even if you don't play sports. Irene demonstrates courage, wit and integrity as she struggles to achieve success on an all-boys Italian soccer team. But she's not perfect - we see her weaknesses and fears. The setting - in the Italian Alps- makes for a very interesting backdrop. The scenes are packed with action, humor and drama. I don't often read sports books, but I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to read a really good novel.
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