Kick

Product Information

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. Buddi is a really optimistic character, so despite the hardships that he has in his day-to-day life and the emotional journey that this story follows, the general tone of this book is light-hearted and uplifting. I've only been to Indonesia a couple of times and cannot vouch if those words are truly used in Indonesia but some of the words are not what we use in Singapore. I found this book a bit disjointed and felt that it took a long time to cover Budi's early life in Jakarta, leading up to the climax of the novel, where he meets the Dragon.

Life is hard for him and his family, Mum, Dad and Grandma, and isn’t made any easier by the Dragon, “the most dangerous man in Jakarta”, who can do what he likes as his brother is chief of police and under his control. This book began with a really enticing hook and I think that it would definitely appeal to children who are interested in football. They work for a pittance and, despite both Budi and his Dad working, the family still does not have enough income to eat a meal every day. I would possibly choose this book for guided reading, but it would definitely need a lot of thought as it may be stressful for some children with particular backgrounds and situations. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes football as it is not only about football but also about how children working in a poorer country are treated.Tapi ternyata salah besar, aku mengakui kelihaian penulis memunculkan konflik-konflik baru dan menyelesaikannya satu persatu. Makes for an insightful read and may be a little violent for the more sensitive child as has a reference to backstreet girls and has a gunfight towards the end.

The first half of the book is good fun: young readers will be able to engage in some gentle comparison of their lives versus Budi’s, the differences in wealth and circumstances as well as the similarities in outlook and dreams. The story draws you in and helps to increase empathy and understanding of child labor, and issues in the developing world.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.

The Dragon demands that Budi steal a pair of football boots for his nephew from the factory in recompense. Konfliknya mulai terasa pada suatu sore ketika Budi berlatih bola— itu hanya karena dia tidak suka menyebutnya bermain, lebih bangga menyebutnya berlatih— di sepetak tanah kosong bersama teman-temannya. Awalnya aku mengira garapan Mitch Johnson ini akan lebih kurang dengan garapan penulis luar lainnya. He’s going to play for the greatest team on earth, rather than in the square behind the factory where he works.His ambition is to be a famous football player for a team like Real Madrid, but Budi’s reality is rather different. There are many elements in this book, therefore, that show that message and relate to Budi's story in the meantime. At the end of the book, there is a scene which is entirely embroiled in crime and it ends in Budi surviving with his father (although his uncle sadly dies) and he ends up with millions of pounds in cash.