Official Review: Sammy Surge in Study Hard, Play Fair, He...

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Manang Muyang
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Official Review: Sammy Surge in Study Hard, Play Fair, He...

Post by Manang Muyang »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sammy Surge in Study Hard, Play Fair, Help Others" by Coach Dave Irby.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Sammy has been living with Grampa and Grama Smitty for a while. What a happy surprise it is when Grampa finds Sammy’s long-lost twin brother Ralph! However, since Ralph has been living on the streets, he has acquired some bad habits. The loving couple and Sammy, along with their soccer coaches, Hansi and Matumbu, and teacher Mr. Schulz, help Ralph forget his vices and inspire him to value education (studying hard), honesty (playing fair), and kindness (helping others). Will they make Ralph a better dog? (There is no mention that Sammy and Ralph are dogs; I am assuming they are dogs from the pictures.)

Soccer, reported by World Atlas to have four billion fans in 2018, is the world’s most popular sport. Dave Irby, who has an “A” coaching license from the US Soccer Federation, knows that. He also knows that many soccer fans are children. Coach Irby wrote this book to introduce Sammy Surge to kids; Sammy aims to teach kids his “life principles.” Sammy is the mascot of Surge International, a non-profit organization that uses soccer to teach the “young and the young at heart” valuable lessons "to make the world a better place."

Sammy Surge in Study Hard, Play Fair & Help Others is a short book of three chapters, one for each learning point. This sectioning makes each lesson clear. Chapter 1 (Study Hard) is set in the fifth-grade classroom of Mr. Schulz. Kids can very well see themselves in that setting, with the references to homework, impatiently awaiting the school bell to signal the end of classes, and the much-anticipated recess. Chapter 2 (Play Fair) makes use of a soccer game to reach its goal. Soccer fans will find the competition exciting; the author’s knowledge of the game is evident from the play-by-play narration. The lesson of helping others in Chapter 3 (Help Others) is not a hard sell; young ones will find the good deed easy to emulate.

The chapters all refer to the Sammy webpage for further explanations about the topics discussed. The site also allows the free download of a Sammy poster and the viewing of a charming video, one that I enjoyed immensely. Since most kids are tech-savvy, this is a clever strategy that will reinforce the learnings and double the fun.

The story will entertain tweens and younger. (Adults, especially soccer fans, are also welcome.) The older kids can read it on their own. Younger pupils may need assistance because of the length of the sentences. Preschool children will enjoy this being read to them. The colorful pictures make the reading experience more memorable. The illustrator, Rebecca Santana, may consider making the people more vibrant, though. As is, the dogs jump off the page while the people are overshadowed.

While the book effortlessly makes its points, I cannot give it the full marks because of the editing flaws. The author does not use commas for introductory phrases and compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions. That is a stylistic choice that is not too distracting for adults. A children’s book may need those commas, though. There are also run-on sentences, punctuation errors (other than the deliberate omission of commas), wrong verbs, and other grammar issues. Moreover, the dialogues of different characters are written in the same paragraph, making it difficult to identify the speakers. We cannot overemphasize the need to follow grammar rules in children’s books.

I hope to see the book cleansed of all those pesky errors soon. For now, I give it 3 out of 4 stars. I laud Coach Irby's passion for starting them young, both in sports and in virtue. May he continue to achieve his goals; may his good works surge.

******
Sammy Surge in Study Hard, Play Fair, Help Others
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Dee_218
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Post by Dee_218 »

Sounds like an interesting type of book. I easily put imageries in my head. Although whether the two friends are dogs or humans makes it questionable yet interesting. Thank you for a lovely review.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Dee_218 wrote: 12 Sep 2019, 09:51 Sounds like an interesting type of book. I easily put imageries in my head. Although whether the two friends are dogs or humans makes it questionable yet interesting. Thank you for a lovely review.
I don't know why children and even adults enjoy animal characters. We all love Mickey, but I don't think everyone will want a pet rat, LOL!

Thanks for the lovely comment.
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Post by Elsereen »

All thanks to the book of the day, the book is not of my interest though the book cover looks so enticing.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Elsereen wrote: 12 Sep 2019, 14:41 All thanks to the book of the day, the book is not of my interest though the book cover looks so enticing.
Is this a prophecy?

Thanks, I guess!
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Post by Rony_ »

sorry I don't really like it, I think they are humans or two friends are dogs, and the lack of punctuation in the story
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Rony_ wrote: 12 Sep 2019, 17:08 sorry I don't really like it, I think they are humans or two friends are dogs, and the lack of punctuation in the story
I do wish Coach Irby will correct the errors for the kids who will find the book and the twins to their liking.
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Post by Aniza Butt »

I would skip this one as i know nothing about soccer and also am not a teen😀
Thanks a lot for the review Miriam 😊.
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Manang Muyang
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Aniza Butt wrote: 13 Sep 2019, 03:24 I would skip this one as i know nothing about soccer and also am not a teen😀
Thanks a lot for the review Miriam 😊.
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment, Aniza! I appreciate the gesture.
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Post by Tomah »

I believe sports are excellent tools to help kids and teens set a proper path in life, especially if they're in vulnerable positions where there's a risk they'll make bad choices down the line. Thanks for the review!
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Post by Ekta Swarnkar »

I suppose it could prove a healthy read for children. Such a lovely message shared with little efforts of the writer. Nice review!
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Post by Cecilia_L »

It's a shame about the editing flaws, but I think it's an appealing feature when children's authors provide additional content on a linked website. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Post by Niv123 »

Apart from the editing flaws it does seem like it would be worth reading once. Thank you for your honest review
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Manang Muyang
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Tomah wrote: 13 Sep 2019, 11:00 I believe sports are excellent tools to help kids and teens set a proper path in life, especially if they're in vulnerable positions where there's a risk they'll make bad choices down the line. Thanks for the review!
That is also the author's belief. He believes in playing hard, but also in playing fair.
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Manang Muyang
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Ekta Swarnkar wrote: 13 Sep 2019, 12:37 I suppose it could prove a healthy read for children. Such a lovely message shared with little efforts of the writer. Nice review!
The three principles (study hard, play fair, and help others) are all basic to a child's success in later life. I hope the book will find its way into many homes.
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