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Reviewed by: Anna Bayerl, Junior High School Librarian Title: Ten Thousand Tries Author: Amy Makechnie Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Year: 2021 Good for Grades: 5-8 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction: Sports
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Deals with the illness and death of a parent. Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: Someone else selected for me If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Sometimes you need to keep trying and other times you need to let go.
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Review:
Anything worth having is worth struggling for, and knowing when to accept and let go are two dueling themes of Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie. Golden Maroni doesn’t just dream of becoming the greatest soccer player, he keeps a record of every hour he works toward his goal. “It takes ten thousand hours to truly master something,” his parents tell him, so he keeps a chart in his bedroom tracking his hours (into the thousands by the time he is in eighth grade). However, the year is filled with challenges for him on and off the soccer field. His dad, a former professional soccer player, now coaching high school soccer, has been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). A once physically strong, active member of the community, Patrick Maroni slowly begins losing the ability to use any of his muscles, even those needed to breathe. Golden’s mom, also a former soccer player and now coach of Golden’s middle school soccer team, struggles watching the man she loves physically deteriorate and doing everything possible to make his life easier, as well as caring for their four children, two teens and two younger children, helping them deal with the changes in their beloved dad. Golden is in denial and is convinced that if his dad just tries harder he would be able to overcome the illness. He is also embarrassed about others’ perceptions of his failing dad, once considered a hero and called, “Dragon-Ball P,” by all his fans. Golden is also dealing with the possibility of his best friend moving away, continually finding ways to sabotage the sale of her house, and a myriad of other middle school dramas. What is happening at home, with his dad, and the effect of ALS on his family, is realized in all areas of his life and little by little, he accepts that his dad cannot overcome the illness despite everything Golden tries to do with him, and that the best thing to do to help his dad is simply, to love him.
When I looked at the cover of the book, kids riding bikes, I never would have guessed it was about soccer, and despite the heaviness of the ALS topic, there is a great deal of soccer. I don’t believe the cover appeals to the intended audience. I, myself, probably would not have picked it up and read it if someone had not given it to me. Golden is the “underdog” on the team because he is the smallest player and needs to work at least twice as hard to succeed than his best friend who is a natural athlete. I think many child athletes can relate to this desire to be great despite natural challenges. The topic of soccer would certainly appeal to most athletes, however, the 372 page-length may discourage some and prevent the book from being considered for “reluctant readers.” I found Golden’s dedication to his sport inspirational, but he is a typical tween boy who fluctuates between being his best self and his worst, which means his behavior is sometimes frustrating. I am not a great lover of “sports” fiction, reading it mostly to support those students who will only read this genre, but I truly enjoyed this book and learned a great deal about ALS and the effect any illness of a family member has on other family members and their community.
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For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website