Skip to Main Content

About The Book

Australian Matildas and World Cup superstar Sam Kerr teams up with Aki Fukuoka to bring young readers this fun and inspiring illustrated series about soccer, school, sport, friendship, dealing with bullies and following your dreams.

It’s official! Eleven-year-old Sam Kerr is a fully-fledged soccer tragic! So, when the school’s annual Sports Day comes around, she is disappointed when soccer isn’t on the list of activities.

Sam goes on a mission to get her beloved game added to the program. With help from her best friends, Indi and Dylan, she petitions her classmates to create the first-ever soccer team in the history of her school. But will Chelsea stir up trouble and ruin everything?

On the home front, Sam and her siblings are organising a surprise party for their parents’ wedding anniversary. But things aren’t going to plan! And with her team’s grand final just around the corner, there’s a lot to deal with … even for a soccer superstar in the making!

‘A fun book packed with cool illustrations. It follows themes of family and perseverance that will totes leave you feeling inspired!’ Total Girl on The Flip Out

About The Authors

Photograph © Jonathan Ring

Sam Kerr is the captain of the Australian women’s national soccer team – the Matildas – and a leading goal scorer for Chelsea in the English FA Women’s Super League. She burst onto the W-League scene as a fifteen-year-old playing with Perth Glory. In 2016, she played for the Matildas at the Olympics in Brazil, and she was the top goal scorer in the 2017 Tournament of Nations. Since joining Chelsea in 2019, Sam has positioned herself as one of the best female strikers in the world. She was named 2018 Young Australian of the Year. In 2021, Sam became the Matildas all-time top goal scorer at the Tokyo Olympics, and in 2023, helped the Matildas achieve their best-ever result at a Women’s World Cup. IG: @samanthakerr20; @samkerrfootball

© Amy Gubana

Fiona Harris has written the children’s series The Super Moopers, Trolls and Miraculous. She was head scriptwriter on ABC3 TV’s Prank Patrol and wrote/co-starred in the TV comedy shows Flipside, Comedy Inc. and SkitHouse. Fiona co-wrote and starred in the international-award-winning web series The Drop Off, with husband Mike McLeish. Their adult fiction novel The Drop-off was released in 2020 and its sequel, The Pick-up, is due out in 2021. Fiona also co-authored Sharni Layton’s biography, No Apologies, and Marcus Bontempelli’s picture book, both released in 2021. For more information on Fiona Harris visit fionaharris.com.

About The Illustrator

Supplied by the illustrator

Aki Fukuoka was born in the valleys of the alps of central Japan and was raised in the rolling hills of the New Zealand countryside. After spending her childhood exploring nature with her four siblings, Aki moved out to the city of Auckland to learn how to cross roads, manoeuvre between pedestrians and gain her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She is currently living in a little wooden cottage house with her husband, four children and animals and works full time as a freelance illustrator. Aki is most well known for her illustrations for the Billie B Brown series.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (September 14, 2023)
  • Length: 192 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781761100918
  • Ages: 7 - 12

Browse Related Books

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this illustrator: Aki Fukuoka

More books in this series: Sam Kerr: Kicking Goals