Playing soccer and being a girl do mix; Scrappy, by Osmond Molarsky. New York: Dodd, Mead. 127 pp. $8.95.

Laura Jean Bassett may only be 11 years old, but already she's a sharpshooting soccer player. She's also very determined. In fact, her father once called her a scrappy little kid. The moniker stuck and she has been known as Scrappy ever since.

She loves playing soccer, climbing rocks, and playing ''skin the cat'' on the playground rings. Scrappy doesn't want to be a boy; she just wants to be treated like one. The thought of growing into a pretty girl horrifies her - if it means that she has to act dumb like Floramae Williams at school who is afraid of spiders, wears dresses and makes the boys act weird.

When Scrappy, who is the only girl on her soccer team, finds out a woman is going to be coach, she quits the team in a huff. She is sure the new coach will be frivolous and useless. The new coach is pretty and feminine, but she was also captain of her college soccer team. Finally, Scrappy learns she, too, can be pretty, wear dresses, have boys pay attention to her, and still be herself.

This is an amusing book that manages to work in some important lessons about growing up without prejudging people.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Playing soccer and being a girl do mix; Scrappy, by Osmond Molarsky. New York: Dodd, Mead. 127 pp. $8.95.
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0513/051351.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe