Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

Twelve-year-old Alex is a talented soccer player and loves playing on her local rec team. She’s noticed by a coach during a game and is offered a spot on an elite team. She’s reluctant to change, but she makes the jump knowing it could help her to get a scholarship later. The new team plays far from home, requiring Alex to take public transportation for hours, often with her little sister in tow because her mom is absent. The new coach is tough and abrasive, berating officials and treating his own players harshly during practices and games. What happens when Alex & her teammates reach the breaking point?

I loved Alex’s commitment to little sister, her sport, and to standing up for herself and what is right. This book gives readers lots to think about, especially if they're involved in competitive sports. The soccer content is on point, too. Great read for middle grade sports fans!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book for review.

I started this book wanting to dive into a good sports book, but I was put off by the main character. She tells us how much she doesn't want to be part of the other team, but she doesn't tell her mother; suddenly, on the next page, she is going to be on that team. It just felt wrong, and I tried to keep reading, but I found that I really didn't like a character who didn't seem consistent. and it felt like a lie. Maybe the book would have been better if I had been able to read past the beginning.

I have a lot of students whose lives revolve around their sports. They’ve been privy to some amazing coaching, but this book shows how some can take things too far. This book shows the difference between those types of coaches through the eyes of a middle schooler. This will appeal to my soccer playing students.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so impressed with SHELTER, so I couldn’t wait for SELECT! With themes of bravery, teamwork, and family, this tale is empowering for both girls and boys alike.

This book hit close to home as I have a kid who has been playing soccer since he was five and we switched him to select for a couple of years at a young age but quickly learned it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Select is the story of a young girl named Alex who has been playing rec soccer with a team and coach she loves for a long time but she gets the opportunity to play for a select travel soccer team, for free, she feels pressured to take it. She has a lot to deal with from issues with the coach, a overworked mother, taking care of her little sister, and living in the cusp of poverty. Select is a great middle grade read and it hits on important issues of social-economic differences and the difference between a tough coach and an abusive coach. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital advanced copy!

When an elite league coach poaches Alex, she hopes it will mean better opportunities. But when she starts, she’s disturbed by her coach’s unkind and misogynistic practices. This fast-paced sports story features a smart girl with too many responsibilities for her age, plenty of heart for soccer, and the will to stand up to an adult bully.

Alex is an appealing character wise well beyond her years. When pressured to switch soccer teams and play for an elite team, Alex faces some harsh realities. Soccer is one part of her story. And being left to take care of her seven year old sister because of her neglectful mother is another. And when Alex finds herself playing for an abusive coach, she is lucky to have Jayda, her former rec league coach to turn to. A worthy attempt to bring the fact of abuse and the forms it can take to young readers' minds. The end was rushed causing conclusions to be unsatisfying and not fully fleshed out. Think younger readers will be captivated by Alex and cheer for her both on and off the field.

Alex loves soccer and she's really, really good. Is playing on a rec team holding her back? When her single mom who works multiple jobs is approached by a soccer coach from an elite travel team inviting her to play for them - with her fees waived - her soccer career starts on a path that Alex is not sure she wants to take. She can't stand her new coach, she has to take public transportation by herself to practice and games, and her teammates are cold towards her. This is a quick read that any middle school girl who plays soccer should love.

Twelve-year-old Alex loves soccer, and she’s good at it. When her skills attract the attention of an elite coach, her life changes both for the better and the worse. Her teammates are amazing and they have a real chance to go to Nationals. On the other hand, this coach is a misogynist bully. Set in San Francisco and on the peninsula, Select explores the tension between love of sport and the fact that, for many kids, an athletic scholarship is the ticket to a better life. Alex feels trapped by her poor, single mom’s expectations and her own conviction that her coach has crossed the line. Full of exciting soccer action, nuanced team dynamics, and a realistic portrayal of what it takes to play at the highest level, it explores the difference between positive and negative coaching. While some didactic prose over-explains the core themes, the author’s love of the game and deep respect for student athletes carries the story to a gratifying, if rather sudden, conclusion. Alex and her family read as white, teammates and coaches are of diverse races and ethnicities. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.

I think that this is an important book. All to often it seems that there are stories on the news about aggressive and/or abusive coaches or parents/spectators at sports events. At the heart of this book is the message that sports are meant to be fun. Yes, it's ok if the player pushes themselves to do even better, or the coach pushes players to do their best. But there is an absolute limit, and nobody should be degrading, belittling, or abusing players the way Coach did in this book. I think this book could be a good starting place for players that may be experiencing some of that. Maybe it can help them see that it is not ok, and find ways to talk about it. I also loved the inclusion of the polar opposite of Coach- Jayda. If Coach is the example of how not to coach, Jayda is a stellar example of how to be a great coach. She finds ways to encourage, uplift, and push everyone to do their best without ever making anyone feel bad. I also loved the relationship between Alex and Belle. It was great to see such a caring and supportive relationship between older and younger sibling. I did feel that Alex's character was maybe a little too perfect. But overall, I think this book had a great message. Readers that enjoy realistic fiction, especially about sports, will likely enjoy this book.

This story follows a seventh grade girl, Alex, who loves playing soccer and gets the opportunity to go from a rec league to a travel team. She loved playing with her rec team but felt pressured to join the new team.

My daughter loved reading this book! She's currently 5th grade and had a similar experience going from rec league to club level and realized it took the fun out of the game.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and amazing author for my ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's Books, and Christie Matheson for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Alex has a passion for soccer. She's grown up playing out her passion on the rec team with Jayda as her coach. Alex has a genuine love for analyzing the game, helping her teammates, and being the best version of herself on and off the field.

Her mom struggles to make ends meet and networks with a travel team coach who can help get Alex to Nationals and then eventually scholarships to college. Alex recognizes that the vibes from her new coach are "off" the moment she meets him, but cannot deny that she wants the opportunity to play in college.

Will Alex persevere through the challenges of a more competitive team and a downright mean coach?

I devoured this book in the span of a few hours! Alex is the definition of girl power -- a kind older sister, a team player, and someone who knows the power of her voice.

I absolutely loved the strength and grit shown by the main character in this book. She dreams of being a professional soccer player even when she has they weight of the world on her shoulders. Her ability to play courageously, care for her sister, be a great friend, and help encourage her mom through an abusive relationship was amazing. Then, you add on her fearlessness to lead her soccer team to the finals all while standing up to an abusive coach.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital galley of this book!

As soon as I saw this book, I had to request it. Why? My 8 year old daughter has just started club soccer, after 2 years of playing recreational and wanting to have more hands on coaching. And although she's only been playing club for a couple of months, I can already see how much more confident she is and how her skills are developing. (This book hit especially close to home seeing that it took place in San Francisco, and Alex's first away game was in Burlingame which is the soccer club my daughter plays for.)

So you can imagine how horrified I was reading this! I wouldn't wish the experience Alex has in this book on anyone. Alex is a 12 year old girl who is an amazing soccer player. Her rec team has won against more competitive teams despite not having fancy uniforms or professional coaches. She gets recruited by a big club in San Francisco and is given a scholarship to join the team. Yet when she starts, she realizes that things are so great in her new team.

First of all, this book had some major extremes and the adults made me furious. The Coach of the club team was terrible. He was a sociopath and abusive towards the girls. Alex's mom was negligent and also abusive in her neglect. I realize that adults like this exist but I found it hard to believe that the other parents on the team would not have spoken out sooner, especially as they were so much closer to their kids. A lot of the other parents were terrible too. Thank goodness that has not been our experience in competitive sports.

I thought Alex was an incredible character. She was strong, responsible, caring ... she had no choice. She looked out for her younger sister who was only 7 and made tough decisions that no one her age should make.

The soccer games and information in this book were terrific. High paced and thrilling, I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. Definitely recommend it to young athletes (and parents, especially those crazy ones yelling at their 8 year olds from the sidelines). Great addition to our home library of sports middle grade fiction!

I appreciated this soccer story of feminism. I also appreciated the good sister relationship. I liked the rec coach and her enthusiasm and pure love of the game. I wish I could've seen the male coach's comeuppance.

Seventh grader Alex loves playing soccer and is very good at it. She has played at her rec center league for years, but when she gets the opportunity to play for a select travel soccer team, for free, she feels pressured to take it. The select team is not all it appears to be, as the coach is abusive and the other girls come from a very different socioeconomic background than Alex. Alex also has to balance her inconsistent single mother and taking care of her seven year old sister Belle. Overall, I really enjoyed this middle grade book. Alex was a very likable character, and as someone who doesn't know much about soccer, this book made me more interested in it and made it seem like such a fun sport. Something I didn't feel like was resolved enough for me was Alex's mother. I kept waiting for there to be a situation where social services got involved and it felt unrealistic for Alex to be taking the public bus by herself for hours and with her younger sister. Still, I thought this was a great middle grade read and I like how it brings up the difference between a tough coach and an abusive coach. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital advanced copy!

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Seventh grader Alex loves playing soccer, and is happy with her San Francisco Rec league team even thought they don't have the nice uniforms the other teams do.She and her friends enjoy themselves, and her coach, Jayda, has a positive influence on many aspects of her life. Her mother is a bit unreliable, and since her father walked out when she was younger, Alex ends up caring a lot for her younger sister, Belle. Her mother rarely makes it to her games because she is too caught up with a new boyfriend, Xander, but during one game she does attend, Alex catches the attention of Coach Austin, the founder of San Francisco Select, and before she knows it, her mother has signed her up for the elite travel team. The thought is that better opportunities might lead to college scholarships, which would be helpful since the family can't afford college. Alex is sad to leave the Rec league, but Jayda understands. Playing Select means a lot of sacrifices; they practice at a facility quite a distance from Alex's house, so requires her to leave immediately from school and catch several buses, and she can't watch Belle after school. Her new teammates are not welcoming, especially Apple, who has cutting things to say about Alex's scholarship status on the team. Coach Austin is negative, and his training methods are unpleasant. Alex does make friends with Liv, and the two talk a little about how the team works. The games often involve train rides to outlying towns, and for the first game, Alex has to bring Belle with her because her mother has not come home. This further angers Coach Austin, who plays favorites when it comes to starting lineups and continued play in the games. He wants to win, and tells girls that they won't play in the second half if they don't score in the first. Alex, who is used to Jayda's positive coaching and her philosophy that teammates should work together, pushes back against this style from the beginning. Over the winter, the girls are required to spend $300 and register for futsal training, but Alex knows her mother can't afford it. She does get the cost knocked down to $100, and earns the money by herself. When Coach Austin's coaching methods become even more negative, Alex and her teammates decide that they can no longer stomach his leadership, and approach Jayda to see if she can coach them for their big game. How will Alex be able to balance her desire to better herself through the opportunities Select soccer offers with caring for Belle and enjoying the game?
Strengths: Author Matheson is herself a soccer coach, and her love and knowledge of the game are very evident. There are lots of good details about play on the field as well as the way travel teams are set up. Traveling to the games by public transport was interesting to read about, especially since this is set in the San Francisco area. There is just enough family drama to add another layer of interest, and Belle and Alex's relationship is sweet. Jayda is an awesome coach, and it's good to see that Alex has an adult in her life who supports her. The girl drama is on point as well; Apple's mother is just as unpleasant as Apple is, and I imagine that in elite levels of soccer, the competition is brutal. This is the perfect length, and ends on a happy note. This is a must purchase for middle school and elementary libraries where interest in soccer is strong.
Weaknesses: As an adult, I wish that there had been more nuance to the story. The Select team has nothing pleasant about it, not even the better snacks! It's such a hassle that I wouldn't have let my children play more than two games. The coach is completely evil, and although he gets his comeuppance, it would have been nice to see some positives in a travel team. I was also very concerned that Alex's mother was so neglectful, and that situation was never resolved to my satisfaction, although she did break up with Xander. These situations are all true to life, but I wish there had been more depiction of Alex getting help with these difficult circumstances. There are some links to applicable web resources at the end of the book.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase this (probably two copies!), and this will circulate well. My students will love it, but as a former coach and teacher, I wanted the soccer experience to have a little more appeal before becoming horrible.

Alexa (Alex) loves soccer and when her mom wants her to play for the Select team because it would help her chances for a college scholarship she reluctantly agrees because the coach gives her the creeps. As she starts practicing she finds the coach verbally abusive. Her last coach, Jayda, told her she should be having fun while playing soccer but she’s not and neither are the other teammates. For the first time, the team goes to the national championships but when the coach makes unreasonable demands, many of the girls walk off. What happens now? Do they still play? Could they find someone else to coach them?

Select was a solid book. Not stand out - the ending was just too easy - but as a girl who grew up playing soccer there was a lot I could see in Alex's story that resonated. I also liked the emphasis on teamwork, sisters and that playing sports is supposed to be, above all, fun. I enjoyed the parallels between Alex's own struggles and issues and the mom's and how even though the mom kept messing up, she tried to be better and Alex still always loved her. The soccer games were well described - interesting without being over the top. And I wish I could juggle anywhere as well as Alex!