Member Reviews

Beautifully illustrated and inspiring story about a group of boys in Thailand who built their own floating soccer field when their sandbar field is made useless by the tide. A great story about ingenuity, rising above adversity, and teamwork. Wonderful for a classroom or home looking for a multicultural picture book which includes sports, engineering, and history.

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This is an amazing story of boys who wanted a soccer field and built one on the ocean. They didn’t let anyone stop them and eventually became champions in the sport they loved so much. This true story is well told and the information in the back expands on the story rather than retell it. It is well done and a great read at any age.

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This is a children's book, and I read this book to my twin six year old boys. They both really enjoyed this story, and I enjoyed this book as well. I really loved how bright the pictures are. I also enjoyed the fact that the team in the book did not get first place because I feel it shows kids it is ok not to get first place. I also loved the kids in this story figured out how to play their favorite game. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Millbrook Press) or author (Scott Riley) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A true story based on a few boys who love soccer so much but find it difficult to find a place to play consistently. Against all odds, they make a floating field and find a way to play the game they so love.

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A really interesting story. I appreciated the follow up about what is happening there today, This didn't stand out for me, but I'll still recommend to sports fans.

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Kids who are problem solvers or soccer fans will enjoy The Floating Field by Scott Riley. This nonfiction picture book tells of a group of boys in the tiny Thai island of Koh Panyee who played soccer in the most unusual circumstances. The island itself is built on stilts and the boys can only play twice a month when the water is low enough, until they decide to build a floating field. An inspiring story of creativity and determination. It also takes some special skills to play on a floating field and not constantly fall into the water. The illustrations are fabulous and the story can move anyone.

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What I like best about this book is that it doesn't feel the need to be a blunt object with the messaging. Riley presents the story in a simple, chronological manner. Events follow logically. We are presented with both the "what" and the "why" of the actions these boys took. The illustrations are dynamic and support the text well. The information is clear enough in both the text and the art that you could use this with small kids to do some basic comprehension analysis. Older kids can do more textual analysis, gleaning messaging, without those elements being flatly spelled out.

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Read this inspiring story about a group of boys who creatively work together to continue playing soccer. Not only do they do the impossible building a floating field--but they create a community to support their belief that they can win!

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A wonderful book about some boys who thought outside the box to come up with a solution to a problem. This is an inspiring true story that shows readers that a great attitude and a never-give-up demeanor can help you get exactly what you want.

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I first heard about these children during a teacher conference day. I was immediately drawn to this uplifting story of perseverance and hope. This is a must have book for every classroom.

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I was vaguely aware of the story of the floating field prior to reading this thanks to a show starring Jack Whitehall where he played soccer on the floating field with the people of the town. However, reading this book helped me to fully understand the history of the floating field and just what made it so inspiring. This book would be a great introduction to the team of children that decided to take make their own way in a sport that seemingly wasn't meant to be accessible to them. It contains both great research as evidenced in the back matter, and good illustrations and writing.

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Very amazing, inspiring, fun story. The process of building the floating field was fun. After reading the book, we even watched a video. Then we realsied that the illustartors did a great job of showing the village, cliffs exactly like they are.

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We received an electronic ARC from NetGalley.
Read and reviewed by seven-year-old Amy.
The Floating Field is an inspirational tale of Prasit.
Prasit and his friends liked to play soccer. But there wasn’t any soccer field on the island they lived in. So the group of boys built their own soccer field. It was hard work, but it was worth it. I found it amazing how just a group of boys could actually build a soccer field, that too, in the water.
I loved the detailed illustrations and liked to see the floating soccer field too.

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This picture book tells the incredible true story of a group of Thai boys who built a floating soccer field. They lived on a floating man-made island off the coast of the mainland. The only time they could play soccer was twice a month when the full moon or the new moon would cause low tides to reveal the sand bar. They decided that if they could live in a floating town, they could build a floating field. After practicing on their new floating field, the boys entered a soccer tournament on the mainland.

The pictures are vibrant and full of movement. I loved the attention to detail in the illustrations and particularly enjoyed the birds-eye view illustrations. I thought this was an interesting perspective.

After the story, the author's note explains how the author came to learn of the floating soccer field and his visits to the island. Prasit, the main character of the story, has included his own note. The author even adds a translation table to teach children Thai soccer words.

The author was particularly moved by this story as he's a big soccer fan. He has selected a really inspiring story to tell that will resonate with many children who have a passion for sports or other ambitions.

I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Millbrook Press.

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I first heard about the Paynee Football Club through a video some years ago and I admired their tenacity and their problem-solving skills. This book shares a lot of information about the team in a fun and appealing way.

*The review is based on a free copy I received from NetGalley for an honest review.

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I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Riley share the story of this group of boys who built their own floating soccer field so they did not have to wait until low tide to play. They gather scraps of wood, styrofoam and other materials so they can play any time. The story takes readers through their first tournament with real uniforms and cleats. Terrific message to persevere and believe in yourselves.

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#TheFloatingField #NetGalley
Do you enjoy watching the impossible happen and dreams come true? Read this book and that is exactly what you will get. Inspired by the 1986 World Cup a determined group of boys living in a town built on stilts in Thailand decide to build themselves a floating field so that they can play soccer everyday. Without it they are only able to play twice a month when the tide is low enough. Their passion for playing drives them to spend their after school time finding whatever scraps they can and building a field large enough to play soccer everyday. Despite the challenges that a moving field presents these boys train hard and develop skills.. But their dreams don't end there. They decide to enter a tournament against teams that have the advantage of a regular field.. How do they do? Read The Floating Field by Scott Riley and find out.
This is a book that should be in every public and school library. Let's celebrate the good in this world.

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This a great book. The illustrations and the story are all well done. The story of some young boys overcoming obstacles to play the sport they love. I live in the Midwest and around here kids don't know about tides so I thought it did a nice job of explaining what a tide is. The end where they showed the real floating field and told a little more about the team just added to it. I am for sure adding this to my library.

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This is a book that shows how hard work pays off. A group of boy who love to play soccer, They work so hard in getting to the soccer tournament. They way that they live and are together help them in playing such a good game in the tournament. I loved the illustrations. It made you feel like you were with the boys every step of the way.

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With thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for an early copy in return for an honest review.

An inspiring book picture book about the Panyee Football Club. I can see a wide range of students appreciating the story of the boys and their floating field.

In regards to the illustrations, I particularly appreciated the pictures that offered a birds-eye-view of the scene. It was a perspective I don't see as often in picture books.

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