Keeper - by Mal Peet (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Mal Peet transports readers to a fictional South American country and a world of soccer, celebrity, and strange occurrences investigated by sports reporter Paul Faustino.

When Paul Faustino of La Nación flips on his tape recorder for an exclusive interview with El Gato -- the phenomenal goalkeeper who single-handedly won his team the World Cup -- the seasoned reporter quickly learns that this will be no ordinary story. Instead, the legendary El Gato narrates a spellbinding tale that begins in the South American rain forest, where a ghostly but very real mentor, the Keeper, emerges to teach a poor, gawky boy the most thrilling secrets of the game. A seamless blend of magic realism and exhilarating soccer action, this evocative novel will haunt readers long after the story ends.

Review Quotes

This stirring adventure--a soccer story, a ghost story--defies expectations. . . . Both lyrical and gripping.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Only at the conclusion of the interview and the resolution of who the Keeper really is and what he is waiting for will readers even think of putting down this fascinating book.
--School Library Journal

Framed as an interview between a South American sports reporter and the world's best soccer goalkeeper, the now 30-year-old 'El Gato' relates how he developed his skills, achieved great fame, and won the coveted World Cup.
--Booklist

For [soccer] fans, this book would be an excellent transition from the easier chapter books by authors such as Matt Christopher.
--Voice of Youth Advocates

About the Author

MAL PEET grew up in Norfolk, England, where he says the only worthwhile pastimes were reading books and playing soccer. These are still his main interests. Of KEEPER, his first novel for young adults, he says, "Many soccer stories seem to get stuck in the mud like a heavy ball on a wet Saturday afternoon, but there's no reason why they can't shift into a different and magical dimension. KEEPER is about soccer, of course, but it's also about the supernatural, about relationships and loneliness, about believing in yourself--and about having something you would do your utmost to protect and defend." Mal Peet now lives in Devon, England.