‘Magpies’ magazine mentioned the book ‘Kicking Goals’ by Shirley Deuchrass while talking about books for Children. They think that it is a perfect read for the kids which is full of motivational and inspiring messages.

‘Kicking Goals’ is about a kid, Jack, who lives on a farm in Southern New Zealand. He is always busy doing chores along with his other siblings. His father runs boxing lessons back in the family barn and Jack watches him doing so. Jack is the boy who hates school and wants to play rugby. He admires the game since his childhood when he used to play it with his family. His dreams are big and so is his dedication.

He is often bullied at school by the boys who are much stronger than Jack. He continues to pursue his dreams but his opportunities are limited. He is a shy and a discouraged boy who would always stay back because of bullying but not this time. Rugby is something which changes his life because it is the only thing which he loves and admires. It is an inspirational story of an ordinary boy who went from being an ordinary kid to ‘All Black’.

The author, Shirley Deuchrass was born in Dunedin, New Zealand. She gained her BA degree in English at Otago University and began writing since the very beginning. Many of her poems were published back in 2010. She has also self-published a children’s novel called Isabelle’s Diary in 2005.