LUCÍA'S GOALS / LOS GOLES DE LUCÍA

Lucía has no interest in playing dolls the way her sisters do; she dreams of soccer.

In her small town, girls aren’t encouraged to play, so Lucía cuts her hair short, dresses like a boy, and joins neighborhood games, imagining herself as her favorite stars while racking up goal after goal. When money grows tight and her family moves in with her tío, Lucía is forced to put her dreams of soccer on hold. Years later, while working after school to help support her family, she spots a flier for a professional women’s league. She makes the team despite a worn-out kit, though she starts on the bench as a substitute. When a spot opens up, Lucía seizes her chance—“GOOOOOOL!”—and helps carry her team to the championship. Along the way, she confronts gender discrimination and unequal pay; we see her continuing to push for equity even if the details of that advocacy remain unexplored. Quezada Padron’s bilingual text is clearly presented in contrasting colors or on opposite pages. Forshay’s bright, energetic illustrations feel somewhat flat but still capture the motion and excitement of the game through bold colors, expressive, friendly characters, and dynamic action poses. Soccer fans will cheer Lucía’s rise, though they’ll need to look elsewhere for discussions of feminist sports activism more generally. Lucía is Latine with brown skin and hair; her teammates vary in skin tone.

Game on for girls with big goals.