Soccer Dreams
Leah Lauber
(Reviewer - Rebecca Brown)
2003 WCI Press
ISBN: 0974548006

A Junior Reporter for the St. Petersburg Times follows the U.S. Women's National Team during the 1999 Women's World Cup.

Soccer Dreams is a dream come true for 12 year old Leah Lauber. Not only is she passionate about soccer, she is an avid fan of the U. S. Women's National Team. Given the unprecedented assignment to cover the sport for a year, this intrepid young reporter not only interviewed the major players, she wrote a book!

Filled with great color photographs of action & heroines, Soccer Dreams is a fantastic adventure into an aspect of a sport that has coined a political power base to be reckoned with: The Soccer Mom!

In Section 1 - Kicking Off, Leah Lauber explains her Love of The Game & her hunt for Autographs and Olympic Glory. In Calm Before the Storm, Leah only manages to catch her favorite team once in a two year period & then the Love of Writing got her onto the X-Team, a special kids' section in the St. Petersburg Times ... & the rest is history, & the makings of a fine book!

Toting her Press Card, Section 2 has Leah Lauber writing letters, articles & diaries, all with the intent on Meeting MY Dream Team in THEIR Dream Season.

What an exciting book is Soccer Dreams! The energy, the crowds, the pace, the thrill of the sport -- all leaps off the pages in full color & Surround-Sound^®, & Reporter Lauber's writing keeps up the pace, taking us behind the scenes, into the bleachers & to the press conferences to rub shoulders with the best reporters.

Highly recommended for sports fan, no matter their age or their particular passion.

Very well done!

Leah Lauber, now 16, has been playing soccer since she was 7, attending her first professional game in 1996, where she garnered autographs from U.S. Women's National Team. She is currently preparing for her 10th season of recreational soccer & plays for her high school team. She is an Honor Roll student at her High School, & has attended the Poynter Institute's Summer Writing Camp. Leah comes by her love of sports & writing via her father, who is a sports promoter & freelance photographer, & her mother who is Creative Director for Kobie Marketing. All her grand & great-grandparents have been involved in writing or illustrating.

Do catch my Interview with this intrepid sports writer.
(03/07/04)

Rebecca