Lesa Cline-Ransome - Young Pele: Soccers First Star

Text copyright 2007 by Lesa Cline-Ransome Illustrations copyright 2007 by James E. Ransome All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Young Pel : soccers first star / Lesa Cline-Ransome ; illustrated by James E. Ransome. 1st ed. p. cm. eBook ISBN: 978-0-307-98357-2 Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-375-83599-5 1. Pel, 1940Juvenile literature. 2. Soccer playersBrazilBiographyJuvenile literature. I. Ransome, James, ill. II. Title. GV942.7.P42C55 2007b 796.334092dc22 [B] 2006030840

The illustrations are rendered in oil paint.

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For Cedric. Thanks for the inspiration. L.C.-R.

For Malcolm. Endless thanks for all of your hard work in bringing Pel to life. J.E.R.

I n a tiny schoolhouse at the edge of the road in Bauru, Brazil, sat a boy with just a hint of a smile on his face. He stared straight ahead at the chalkboard as his teacher spoke, but his mind was miles away.

Though he was the smallest in his class, eight-year-old Edson sat tall at his desk. While others memorized letters, Edson memorized scores from last nights soccer match. While others practiced adding and subtracting, Edson practiced kicking an imaginary soccer ball. And while others heard the teacher calling out numbers and words, Edson heard an announcer calling a game:

With just seconds left, Edson takes the ball. Past one defender and then another. Now hes all alone, only the goalie between him and the goal. Edson! Edson! Edson! the fans shout. But Edson stays focused, he bears down, he drives a kick to the right. The ball hits the goalpost, spins back, and flies through the goalies hands, straight into

Edson do Nascimento! How many times must I call you? His teacher leaned in closer. Now youll have to learn the hard way. Move!

Edson walked past his classmates desks, past their snickers and whispers to a corner, where he knelt and waited. The final school bell would ring soon, and he could go home and practice.

In Edsons backyard, a torn, dirty net hung in the shade of a mango tree. A group of boys huddled there, struggling to find a team name. Suggestions were made and shot down, but then one name was shouted out, and everyone knew it was perfect. September 7 it would be, after Brazils national day of independence.

Each afternoon the team practiced in Edsons backyard or along potholed roads and dirt-packed fields, kicking up clouds of dust so thick the players could barely see the ball. As daylight faded, mothers voices called boys home one by one. Serginho! Nilo! Shde! Luisinho! Dino! Valdo! Edson!

See you tomorrow! Edson would shout as he grabbed his balla sock stuffed with rags, rolled up, and tied with string. Then hed head home, tired and happy.

Edson lived with his parents, Dondinho and Dona Celeste; his grandma; and his younger brother and sister. Dondinho had once been a fine soccer player, but a knee injury had destroyed his dream of playing for a pro team. After supper and into the night, he and Edson would listen to matches on the radio, straining to hear the announcers through the static: Going up across to beautiful kick Goal!

Dona Celeste stayed away, fussing about the two of them wasting their time.

When Edson finally went to bed, hed close his eyes, then fast-forward to all the plays hed try in practice the next day. If I pass to Nilo, then fake left past Shde, Nilo can kick a high pass back to me, and Ill head it into the goal. Too late hed fall asleep, still clutching his ball of sock and string.

On the way to school every morning Edson liked to kick one rock,

then another, until he was kicking rocks from side to side,

dribbling around peoples feet and into potholes score!

When the morning bell rang, his thoughts were so focused on perfecting his plays that he rarely even heard it.

School only got worse. Edsons teachers dreamed up punishments they thought would make him pay attention. For talking in class his mouth was stuffed with paper; for fooling around at his desk he was made to kneel on beans.

Although his parents warned him to behave and punished him when he didnt, Edson soon decided it was easier to skip school altogetherand play soccer.

Around town September 7 became known as the Shoeless Ones, a pretty good team of boys who kicked around a ball of rags and were too poor to afford shoes.

What about uniforms? Z Porto, a defender on the team, wondered one day.

Yeah, and shoes, too! everyone agreed, thinking maybe a new look would change their image.