Sweet Feet: Samantha Gordon's Winning Season

by Samantha Gordon, Ari Bruening

Overview

Ten-year-old Samantha "Sweet Feet" Gordon isn't just a girl who plays football. She's also the best player in a league full of boys and has become an online sensation. Known for flying past the defense to reach the end zone 35 times while racking up almost 2,000 yards in one season, Sam's YouTube highlight reel made her an overnight sensation. Appearing in her own Super Bowl commercial and on ESPN, Good Morning America, and Cartoon Network, Sam's attitude that girls can do anything, has inspired people across the world, from the U.S. women's soccer team to NFL greats to other kids just like her. She even got her own Wheaties box--the first one to ever feature a female football player. Sam's courage on and off the football field has lead her to greatness, but there were times when it wasn't easy. Readers will hear Sam Gordon's take on her love of football, her rise to fame, and her hopes for the future in this exciting autobiography full of stories and photos that will inspire all kids to go for their dreams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802736550
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/15/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
Lexile:	970L (what's this?)
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Samantha “Sweet Feet” Gordon is a ten-year-old football sensation who made international headlines by crushing the competition in a league of boys. She gained celebrity status when her football highlight reel reached almost five million views on YouTube in just three days. Since then she's appeared on over 700 TV programs, including a Super Bowl commercial, ESPN, Good Morning America, and Cartoon Network, and has thousands of Twitter followers. Sam is finishing up the fourth grade in Utah, where she lives with her family, and is excited to play football again next season.

Ari Bruening is an urban planner, attorney, writer, and avid football fan who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. A friend of Sam Gordon's family, Ari lives in Utah with his wife and three children, who he hopes are inspired by Sam to believe they can do anything they want in life. This is his first book for young readers.

Editorial Reviews

Sam spins her fantastic year into an inspirational tale, sure to encourage not only other girls but anyone else facing long odds.” —Booklist Online

From the Publisher

2013-09-15
In a homespun style, this autobiography showcases co-author Gordon, a 9-year-old football phenom whose first-season highlight reel became an overnight YouTube sensation. Sam is charming, from her admiration for her coaches to her continual ability to beat the odds against more experienced competitors. Co-author Bruening allows Sam's youthful voice to shine in endearing moments, such as her repeated reflections on the free food available at many of the publicity events she has attended. However, Bruening fails to supplement Sam's recollections with factual information. The conspicuous absence of specific dates makes understanding Sam's timeline of sports experiences challenging, and few comparisons are included to help non–football enthusiasts (clearly part of the target audience) understand the significance of her football statistics. Additionally, the book merely skims important factors contributing to her success, like her agility training with a former NFL player. Readers of a book subtitled Samantha Gordon's Winning Season will expect a focus on Sam's experiences leading up to and during her first football season, but media-appearance memories sometimes dominate. Unfortunately, they often read like celebrity guest lists, a problem compounded by the frequently redundant sidebars. Overall, Sam's voice is authentic and her sports talent undeniable, so her existing young fan base may enjoy reading more about her path to fame. (Memoir. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews