{"product_id":"empty-lot-soccer-chapter-book-boys-ages-9-14-street-football-real-team-middle-grade-sports-fiction-9798254874454-new","title":"The Empty Lot: A Soccer Chapter Book for Boys Ages 9-14 From Street Football to a Real Team Middle Grade Sports Fiction","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHe didn't have a team. He didn't have boots.\u003cbr\u003eHe had a wall, and he used it every single day.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarco Rivera grew up playing alone on a cracked parking lot in East LA, practicing with a plastic bottle against a concrete wall until the day he spotted a real team training on the other side of the fence. Four days he stood there and watched. On the fifth day, he walked through the gate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat happened next will change everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom street football to his first tryout, from the moment Coach Ray noticed the kid who read the game like no one he'd ever seen, this is the story of a boy who refused to wait for permission to belong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor parents: \u003c\/b\u003e If your son loves soccer but says he hates reading, this series is designed to motivate reluctant readers with short chapters, a fast pace, and a main character who thinks like young players. Boys who haven't finished a book in years finish this one in a week. Then ask for Book 2.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Empty Lot\u003c\/i\u003e is Book 1 of the First Eleven series, a \u003cb\u003esoccer chapter book series for boys ages 9-14\u003c\/b\u003e that follows Marco Rivera from the streets of East LA all the way to FC Porto across six books. Each book is a complete story. No cliffhangers. No frustration. Just a kid and a game, and the next room he hasn't walked into yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eFast, short chapters, perfect \u003cb\u003esoccer book for boys\u003c\/b\u003e who don't sit still\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthentic street-to-academy journey, real tactics, and real emotions make this series a genuine soccer experience for young readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eThemes of resilience, belonging, and what it means to earn your place are woven into every story, inspiring boys to see their own potential and feel connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe #1 starting point for the complete \u003cb\u003ekids soccer book series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eA perfect gift for \u003cb\u003eyouth soccer players\u003c\/b\u003e ages 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeloved by \u003cb\u003ereluctant readers, \u003c\/b\u003e parents call it \"the book that finally worked.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce Marco steps through that gate, there's no going back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBook 1 of the First Eleven series - soccer books for boys ages 9-14. Start here.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":67538759516450,"sku":"9798254874454-new","price":16.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9798254874454.jpg?v=1792211678","url":"https:\/\/www.albakireads.com\/products\/empty-lot-soccer-chapter-book-boys-ages-9-14-street-football-real-team-middle-grade-sports-fiction-9798254874454-new","provider":"AlbakiReads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}