Soccer is arguably the most popular sport in the world, with players and leagues from Brazil to Nepal all trying to make a Goal! (Holt, $17.99). Author Sean Taylor travels from country to country, using Caio Vilela’s photographs to illustrate how different children play the sport all over the world, with whatever they have on hand. While many kids use the traditional ball, some make do with round fruits, and sticks and rocks stand in nicely for goal posts. Taylor’s exploration of soccer also provides the basic rules and some interesting history of the game, perfect for the burgeoning World Cup star in your household. Ages 4-7. Kasie Griffitts
Annika Riz, Math Whiz (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $15.99) just cannot get enough of numbers and word problems. She absolutely adores figuring things out mathematically. She loves math so much she even names her dog Prime. And when there is a math contest at school involving the popular number game Sudoku, third-grader Annika is determined to win and be the one to send the lovable principal into the dunk tank as her reward. However, first, Annika must best her clever classmate, fellow math enthusiast Simon. With high jinks and humor, Claudia Mills’s second book in the Franklin School Friends series (following Kelsey Green, Reading Queen) is sure to entertain. Ages 7-10. Kasie Griffitts
