Soccerology
Unbelievable Facts and Stories About the Beautiful Game
by Kevin Sylvester
Annick Press, 2026
ISBN 9781834020662
$17.99, 29 pp, ages 6 – 12
annickpress.com
When Canada hosted some of the FIFA Soccer Championship games in 2026, our country became ever more enamoured with soccer. This book tells new and old fans everything they need to know about the sport! From trailblazing soccer heroes, through the evolution of the game, the rules, the innovations, the records, and even how people cheat, author Kevin Sylvester delivers the facts in clear, easy-to-understand language. Each two-page spread begins with a clear heading that tickles your interest—Heads Up, Crossing the Line, Women Take Over the World (cup) are some examples. The information is chunked with colourful subtitles, illustrations, lists, and charts for easy access. Although this book delivers everything that one might need to know about soccer, it also provides a list of resources if one is tempted to find out even more!
Classroom Connections: This book could be used for research in any classroom. Inviting comparisons between soccer and other sports would be a worthwhile exercise, especially if using Venn diagrams. The changing face of soccer is especially interesting, and encouraging students to compare how sports, and perhaps other leisure activities have changed over the years would be a good topic for discussion or written explanation.
Review by Betty Schultze.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2026 issue.
