Toward the Goal: The Kaká Story (ZonderKidz Biography)
Kaká is one of Brazil’s top soccer players. Currently playing for Real Madrid, he made his reputation with AC Milan. Unlike players who cultivate a tough-guy image, Kaká is deeply and openly religious and supports numerous humanitarian causes. Jones covers all of this, along with Kaká’s years in the extensive Brazilian player-development system, while interspersed sidebars delve into related subjects, such as why Brazilian players are often known by just one name. More pictures and descriptions of game action would have been welcome, and the biography occasionally becomes bogged down by mundane facts and redundancy; for example, Kaká’s unprepossessing disposition is mentioned with almost distracting frequency. Still, this is a solid, well-rounded effort, and with this being a World Cup year, players such as Kaká will undoubtedly receive more American media attention, creating a high demand for this and other similar biographies. Grades 5-8. --Todd Morning