2025
WISE Score
Amazon
Think Ted Lasso for the middle school set, minus the biscuits and plus a lot of 'benchwarmer' anxiety.
4.8
4.8View →Our reviews and ratings are 100% unbiased, but as an Amazon Associate, Screenwise earns an affiliate fee if you buy a book or game by clicking one of our links. We don't get any credit if you just Google it instead :)
If you have a kid who lives and breathes soccer, this is a no-brainer. T.Z. Layton has tapped into that specific 'Academy' obsession that FIFA-playing, jersey-wearing kids have.
It’s refreshing because it doesn't pretend that sports are all glory; it highlights the loneliness of being away from home and the frustration of a losing streak. It’s solid, modern sports fiction that actually respects the reader's intelligence regarding the game.
Perfect for the 8-12 window. It’s written simply enough for younger readers but has enough tactical soccer talk to keep a middle schooler from feeling like it's 'babyish.'
It captures the grit of competitive sports without being toxic. It models hard work, the reality of not being the 'star,' and the importance of keeping up with school while chasing a dream.
While it's grounded in realistic fiction, it vividly paints the 'dream life' of a pro-soccer academy, allowing kids to mentally role-play the high-stakes world of the Premier League.
Standard middle-grade fare. No concerns regarding language, violence, or mature themes. It's a safe bet for any kid who can read at a 3rd-grade level or higher.
Excellent for building perspective on what 'success' actually looks like—it's mostly boring practice, travel, and managing social dynamics rather than just scoring winning goals.
Most sports fiction for this age group follows a predictable arc: kid joins team, kid struggles, kid scores the winning goal in the final three pages. The Academy II takes a more honest route. Leo K. Doyle has already achieved the dream by making a Premier League youth squad, but the book spends its time in the uncomfortable reality of what happens next. He’s not the star; he’s a kid from Ohio trying to prove he even belongs on the bench of the worst team in the league.
This focus on the "grind" is what makes the book work. It captures the specific anxiety of being a "bubble player"—the kid who is one bad practice away from being cut. For kids who play competitive travel sports, these stakes will feel incredibly visceral. It moves the drama away from "will they win the big game?" to "will the team even exist next year?"
The "fish out of water" element adds a layer of social complexity that keeps this from being just a play-by-play manual. Leo isn't just fighting for playing time; he’s navigating a foreign country, a coach who seems actively hostile, and the isolation of being away from home.
The book handles the loneliness of the elite youth sports circuit with surprising grace. It doesn't sugarcoat the fact that Leo has to balance his schoolwork and social life while his professional future is constantly on the line. If your kid is someone who gets caught up in the "glamour" of pro sports, this is a healthy reality check on the actual cost of entry.
If your reader is the type to wake up at 7:00 AM on a Saturday to watch the Premier League, they will appreciate that T.Z. Layton doesn't talk down to them. The tactical descriptions and the "Academy" culture feel authentic rather than a generic backdrop.
If they burn through this one and are looking for something with a similar "making it" vibe, you might want to check out our parent's guide to the next Messi soccer books for kids 8-12. While The Academy series leans into the gritty British system, there are other series that lean more into the individual "superstar" journey.
With a 4.8 rating on Amazon, it’s clear the fan base is all-in. Because this is the second of five planned books, it avoids the "sophomore slump" by upping the external pressure. The threat of the owner disbanding the Lewisham Knights gives the story a ticking clock that keeps the pages turning.
Be aware that the book ends in a way that makes the next installment, Tournament of Champions, feel mandatory. It’s less of a standalone story and more of a single chapter in Leo’s career. If you’re buying this for a trip or a holiday, you might want to have the next one queued up on the Kindle or sitting on the shelf to avoid the immediate "what happens next?" interrogation.
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