The Academy II: The Journey Continues (The Academy Series)

"The Academy II: The Journey Continues" by T.Z. Layton is an absolute page-turner and a worthy sequel to the first book. My son, who is a soccer enthusiast, was captivated by the journey of Leo K. Doyle, a small-town kid from Ohio, as he navigates the challenges of a Premier League youth squad. Despite being on the underperforming U14 Lewisham Knights, Leo's unwavering determination and passion for soccer shine through. This book beautifully portrays Leo's struggles, not just on the field but also in his personal life - balancing schoolwork, making new friends in a foreign country, and dealing with a tough coach. The way Leo juggles these challenges while trying to save his team and pursue his dream of becoming a professional player is inspiring. What makes this sequel stand out is its ability to maintain suspense and excitement while exploring deeper themes like teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of believing in oneself. It’s a must-read for young sports fans, and I found it to be a fantastic way to engage with my son about following dreams and overcoming obstacles. Highly recommended for its engaging narrative and meaningful lessons.

I have been reading the Academy series with my 8-year old son, and we have both loved following Leo's story. The characters were fun to get to know, the competition was entertaining, and the growth Leo experiences along the way prompted numerous conversations with my son. We also personally connected with Leo's emotions related to the anniversary of the death of his mother to cancer. I was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple years ago and just finished my cancer treatments less than a year ago, so my son could connect to Leo and his loss--and reading this part of the story was an unexpected but cathartic experience for us. We cried together and grieved for Leo, but we also were keenly reminded how blessed we are that I am a survivor. We can't wait to start the next book in the series.

Loved the book! Kids who don't normally like to read love this book

I want to call it a slam dunk but this 3 part series is more appropriately applauded as a hat trick! We are through the first 2 books and my 8/9 & 10/11 y.o.s have hung on every word. It has been a really great experience to share with them. There is a lot of detailed (and sometimes) technical description of plays throughout which my footballers ate it up but might be dry if you aren't passionate about the game. But the characters and storyline will keep you reading regardless. Sometimes I would pause and re-read trying to imagine each interaction in a play and my boys would get impatient and just takeover reading where I left off, their imaginations steps ahead of mine. With such an army of young footballers/readers in most countries around the world Layton has nailed a gap in the market. Now if he could only churn them out every month or call on his literary friends to join him in youth soccer fiction. We need more of this great writing to keep these footballers reading!

Este libro está Excelente mi hijo y yo lo disfrutamos muchísimo, esperamos Pronto tener la parte 3. Cada noche era emocionante esperar que pasaría.

My son loves this series! We can’t wait for the next book to come out.

Good series for young soccer players. My 10-year-old has read four books in just under two weeks. He loves it that much!

We enjoyed both books (Academy I & II) very much. The author is super talented and writes exceptionally well. He developed such relatable characters and the play-by-plays of the games were so exciting. We read it out loud to the whole family (we range from 10 yrs old to 73 yrs old) and we all got invested in the lives of the characters. We even cheered out loud when the team would win! And groaned in disappointment when the lost. It is very engaging, interesting, fun, and has some really good wisdom and great life lessons. No matter the age, everyone will enjoy it. You don’t have to even like soccer (but it’s a bonus if you do!)

Myt grandson has 4 of this series and loves them. I ordered # 5

My 10-year-old son read this and loves it after reading the first edition. Great for a 10-year-old that's into his soccer

We loved the first book, and the second book in the series did not disappoint. T. Z. Layton has crafted great characters, ones you really want to spend time with and has mastered writing in a way that captures the thrill and surprises of a football match. He has clearly done his research (Nandos was a beautiful touch). My son (9) and I have cheered, screamed, laughed, and cried throughout the book. Additionally, my son loves the football, training, the fun things that happen to the kids and their camaraderie. As a parent, I like that there are so many great life lessons and un-laboured morals woven in - the highs and lows of our human experience. It's touching, joyous, pacy and football-packed!

This product is not original. The paper is white while the original books have yellow paper. The text looks like a photocopy.

Excellent read! My 3 kids (7y - 13y) and I really enjoyed reading series 1-3 and are so much looking forward to the release of book no. 4. We just can't stop reading about Leo's exciting football adventures.