The Soccer Diaries Series

By Tom Palmer

A determined young footballer tackles fierce matches, new friendships and the pressure of chasing her dream.

energetic · determined · emotional · inspiring

What is The Soccer Diaries series by Tom Palmer about?

Written between 2023 and 2025, The Soccer Diaries follows Rocky Race, a talented fourteen-year-old British footballer chasing her dream of becoming a professional. Her journey progresses from a challenging football camp in California to settling into American high school and competing in a major championship, while she manages friendship, family worries, schoolwork and the pressure to succeed. With fast-paced matches and plenty of emotional honesty, the series should appeal to football fans and reluctant readers aged around 9–14. It includes grief, anxiety, nightmares, bullying, menstruation and sporting injuries.

Genres

Sport Realistic Fiction Friendship/Family

About the author

Tom Palmer is a popular British author known for his exciting books about football, history, and adventure. He has written the Football Academy and Foul Play series, as well as stories inspired by real events like the Second World War. Tom enjoys visiting schools and inspiring children to discover the joy of reading and writing.

All the books in The Soccer Diaries series (in order)

The Soccer Diaries: Rocky Takes L.A.

by Tom Palmer

Book 1 of 3

At an elite American football camp, brilliant Rocky discovers talent alone may not be enough.

The Soccer Diaries Rocky's Big Move

by Tom Palmer

Book 2 of 3

Rocky swaps British football for American school life—but can she keep her dream on track?

The Soccer Diaries Rocky Goes for Goal

by Tom Palmer

Book 3 of 3

Rocky’s dream match becomes a nightmare—but can she uncover the courage to take control?

About Pageticker

Pageticker is a digital reading diary and book tracker for families and school communities. Families track their reading and discover new books with our totally free app; schools can get an instant overview of class reading with our web-based dashboard.

Schools use Pageticker to replace paper reading diaries, catalogue and track library books, run reading challenges and help children explore the world of books. It's proven to improve reading engagement, as well as significantly reducing teacher workload. Visit our For Schools page to learn more.

Yes, the Pageticker app is completely free and you are welcome to join thousands of families using it today to inspire their children to love reading. If you are a school, we charge for the teacher dashboard - this costs between £149 and £449 per year.

Remember all the books that you or your child have read, are reading or want to read by adding them to your bookshelf. You'll need the app to start creating bookshelves.

Ready to get started?

Join thousands of readers discovering their next favourite book