However, the young boy tries it and the people set up a net for him to jump down into but he never finds the confidence until he drinks the coconut milk and then he feels confident enough to look past all the dangers and jump down. Masalah seorang pemimpi adalah terkadang dia akan mengalami mimpi buruk— kau hanya harus memastikan mimpi-mimpi buruk itu tidak pernah cukup menakut-nakutimu sehingga kau ingin terbangun dari tidur. This first part of the novel could have been tightened up and then the tension would have continued through to the gripping finale.

Kick - Mitch Johnson - Google Books Kick - Mitch Johnson - Google Books

Apart from the quote, there are barely any hints there to do with the themes it discusses in terms of Indonesian poverty and the ridiculous justice system there (this book goes into really great detail on those points! Growing up in this multi-cultural society, I know a few Malay words and am familiar with some foods. So the lesson to always spur on with your dreams translates really well into football in that example. The book shows the wider aspects of life in Indonesia: the oppressive dry season giving way to the tropical monsoons, the impact of earthquakes, and the under-the-surface corruption.

Mitch Johnson (author of Kick), for the majority of the book, is gentle and quite subtle with the content as I only picked up on how problematic the events may be in the story about three-quarters of the way through. It's written in an upbeat and simple way and you'll never look at a pair of high-brand football boots in the same way again. Although some teachers seem to have suggested it's more KS3, we think that it's age-appropriate and sensitive in how it handles many difficult and troubling issues, from child labour to human trafficking. Budi especially because he is just like a lot of young boys and girls out there, who's lifelong dream is to play pro football and nothing will stop them. Ways of doing that might have been to make the book a bit longer and to make the writing style a bit more literary and just to expand on the themes and story perspective.

kick | mitch johnson kick | mitch johnson

It's a positive read, and while it may not be a 'happy ever after' ending, it does end with hope and the prospect of better tomorrows.We know this is the start of a long and glittering career for Mitch, and are thrilled to have played a part in bringing this book to readers everywhere. It's wonderful, addressing exploitation of child labour and using football to drive home the stark inequality present in our world.

Kick | BookTrust Kick | BookTrust

I then compared it to other books that I had read with stressful content, in which Michael Morpurgo’s books came to mind.He's going to be a star, instead of sweating over each football boot he makes, each stitch he sews, each box he packages. Budi is like any young boy - he plays football with his friends whenever he can, watches matches, dreams about going to the matches of his favourite teams.

Kick | Usborne | Be Curious Kick | Usborne | Be Curious

And when Budi attracts the notice of the dangerous Dragon, it seems less and less likely that he will ever achieve his dream. Despite this, the book is ultimately about the triumph of hope and the importance of hanging onto your dreams. It sums up the entire book really well and leaves the reader with a sense of joy, as if the story had been complete. I loved reading about Budi and Johnson creates his world brilliantly- you truly come to inhabit his life, feel his hopes and anxieties and care for him and his family.The child-labour described in this story remind us that there are parts of the world where education is a luxury; children have bring in money to support the family. Like lots of kids in this country, Budi lives for football, training with his friends whenever he can, following his team with a passion and dreaming about playing at the top level. Johnson does not shy away from the difficult issues and even finds space to touch on people trafficking.