Mackenzie Arnold 1: Finders Keepers & Mackenzie Arnold 2: Caught in the Middle
By Mackenzie Arnold, Jess Black & Hannah McCaffery
Reviewed by Jamie Willis
In 2023, Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was in the spotlight as the Matildas won a spot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi-Finals and in 2024, she will compete with the Matildas in the Paris Olympics. Her Mackenzie Arnold series will delight young readers as they follow eleven-year-old Macca’s adventures in an under-12s football team.
In Finders Keepers, Macca is in Grade 6 and loves playing fullback for the Seaport Strikers. But when she arrives at training late and injured, Coach questions her commitment and benches her for a big game. Macca learns goalkeeping skills from not-so-scary Mary, and must prove to Coach she’s serious about football and help her team win the match.
In Caught in the Middle, Macca, now the Seaport Strikers’ goalkeeper, accepts a classmate’s bet to keep a clean sheet against their strongest competitors. She’s excited when Sofia, a talented striker from Argentina, joins their team, but the existing striker, Ryder, behaves badly, and Sofia considers quitting. Macca strives to win the bet and keep her team together.
