By Angela Cervantes
A soccer-mad twelve-year-old turns detective for one wild night in Miami to find the World Cup trophy before it vanishes for good.
Diez Espada is named after his soccer-obsessed dad's favorite player, and he loves the game as much as anyone alive. When the World Cup trophy disappears from a glitzy party in Miami, Diez finds himself smack in the middle of the biggest match of his life, a one-night race to track it down before the championship. He teams up with his crush, Rio, and a world-famous detective, and chases the trail through secret tunnels past a lineup of suspects: the spoiled son of a Miami tycoon, a smug sportscaster, and Rio's two prankster little brothers.
If you've got a child who lives and breathes soccer but shrugs at books, this is the one to try, especially with the real World Cup in the air. It's a fast, funny mystery stuffed with fútbol references and nods to real players, but it never leaves behind a reader who doesn't follow the sport. The single-night, race-the-clock structure keeps the pages turning, and Diez is an easy hero to root for. It came out in English and Spanish at once, and a Spanish-speaking family will find plenty here that feels like home.