How to Make the World Cup and Survive Grade Five

Could you coach the Australian women's soccer team to victory? In her funniest book yet, Carla Fitzgerald serves up a winning middle-grade story about sport, friendship drama and finding the guts to have a go.

Eleven-year-old Ronni is basically a professional athlete ... at watching sport. If it's on a screen, she's glued to it – just like her parents. But when Ronni and her best friend, Kai, are recruited to secretly coach the Australian women's soccer team through the World Cup qualifiers, she discovers life looks very different on the other side of the screen.

Suddenly, she's running training sessions on the sly and sidestepping suspicious players. The team is floundering, social-media critics (including her own dad!) are piling on – and worst of all, Kai thinks her tactics are way off. Turns out coaching is tougher than it looks! With their World Cup dreams slipping away and her friendship on the line, Ronni must choose: stay on the bench or get in the game?

How to Make the World Cup and Survive Grade Five captures the excitement and pressure of the sports world, while delving into the complexities of friendship and self-discovery. It's a must-read for young sports enthusiasts and anyone navigating the ups and downs of growing up.