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The Dream Team: Jaz Santos vs The World will be published by Puffin on 27th May (paperback, £5.99)
was the kind of book I wanted to write. Even though I knew I wanted to write for children, I didn’t know the tpe of book I wanted to write.” Toying with genres like fantasy, the Ghanaian writer decided that she wanted to pen a novel that was rooted in something relatable, a narrative that could speak to messy and complicated experiences. “I decided to write a book that would teach children some- thing in a very real and realistic way,” she adds. “I want to teach children that they’re more than their circumstances or situations. I want to show them that they don’t have to be blamed for what they have been put through.” We see the way these real-life circumstances play out in
Jaz’s life, almost from the very start of the novel. We watch through her eyes as the relationship between her parents shows cracks and the outward ripples it causes—an aspect that was incredibly crucial for Mante. “Writing something like this about somebody whose parents have split up is not so unique; it’s quite a common thing. It was the feel- ing of something going on in their life that is somewhat beyond them—that’s what I wanted to write. I wanted to speak to the children who may be experiencing just that.” Alongside navigating difficult and oſten painful home situations, Mante has also taken the opportunit to shine a light on the experiences faced by bilingual children, something she knows all too well, with a second language of Twi. With Portuguese language and cultural signifiers woven throughout the novel, Jaz Santos vs The World is an ode to straddling multiple worlds. “Like Jaz, I’m semi–bilingual and can understand the language but can’t speak it properly, and I wanted to get that across.” Rather than offer us a completely fluent protagonist, readers are introduced to the bumpy terrain children face when switching between two languages or more. “I guess people maybe don’t realise the amount of skill bilingual children [have],” muses Mante. “I wanted to show that kind of cultural deſtness that you gain.” No stranger to tackling tricky facets of life head-on, it’s no wonder that Mante’s work also acts as a guide for young girls who love football but simply don’t see themselves in the game. “Football should be an inclusive sport that everyone can take part in,” she explains. “Girls’ football and women’s football don’t get the atention they should do and it was really important for me, through Jas, to challenge the status quo.” Not only does Jaz’s team of seven, the Bramrock Stars, see them challenge male peers and teachers alike, but the début author also decided to purposefully capture the fact that Jaz’s teammates weren’t as skilled as her. “I want people to know that even if they’re not brilliant players, sport is still something that should be fun—and football, in particular, is something that people can play regardless of skill level.” There’s an intentionalit to this writer’s storytelling that will, no doubt, be even further sharpened in the sequel, which is already in the works. Through her work, Mante is making it her mission to see and communicate with children who are so oſten missing from many YA titles; she offers them a chance to witness themselves between the pages of a book, possibly for the first time. “I guess I want them to know that they should believe in their dreams, that they are more than anything they’re currently facing, and that they have got giſts and talents they are yet to explore.”
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