Who Was Pelé?, by James Buckley Jr.

(Paperback, 112 pages, first published in 2018)

The story of a poor boy from Brazil who became the greatest soccer player of all time and one of the most important athletes of the twentieth century!

His parents may have named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but to the rest of the world, he was known as Pelé. The soccer forward stunned Brazil when he began playing for the Santos soccer club at age fifteen. He then went on to captivate the world when he joined his country's national soccer team and helped them win three World Cup championships. Although he was hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in soccer, Pelé was also an influential person both on and off the pitch. His work with organizations like UNICEF helped improve conditions for children around the world. Young readers can learn more about the man who connected soccer with the phrase "The Beautiful Game."

Considerations: Pele did extraordinary things for his family, community, and the world of soccer - all of which are well told in this biography. At the end of the book and late in his career, he divorces his wife and the mother of his first children, remarries and has two more children, and then divorces that wife and remarries another. This is all included in the last pages of the book but without emphasis.

Recommended Age: 8-12