Pelé: The King of Soccer

Gr 7 Up—Pelé, widely known as the greatest soccer player of all time, was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, a wiry little village boy from Brazil. With his lightning-speed knack for dribbling and shooting, he quickly ran out of children to play with— but his father, a former professional player, encouraged his son to embrace the game. Pelé earned his nickname as he became a professional soccer player at 15 and won a spot on the national team only a year later. He was dubbed "O Rei" (or "king"), helped Brazil win three FIFA World Cups, and became the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of Brazilian soccer. Simon acknowledges that Pelé's life isn't all awards and international fame—the graphic novel covers corrupt sports officials, an authoritarian dictatorship that tries to control Pelé as its national treasure, and family strife. However, the focus is on Pelé's tremendous impact on soccer internationally and his efforts to improve social conditions in his homeland. The book's linear trajectory is easy to follow, though it spans many years and the political intrigues hint at a much more complicated backstory. Readers who aren't sports fans may find the play-by-play tedious at times, but the dialogue never becomes too technical. The artwork is active and graceful—occasionally frenetic, depicting what Pelé called "the beautiful game."