Bend it like Beckham - a reading log

A project in class 9

After the Easter holidays we read the novel “Bend it like Beckham” by Nurinder Dhami. We thought this could be a nice book for us, because it deals as well with football (for the boys) as with a love story (for the girls). While working on the book we had to create a reading log, which replaced a class test. 

The advantage was that we didn’t need to learn that much (except the many new words!), but it was still a lot of work to write so many texts. For example we had to do characterizations, summaries of some chapters, comments and an analysis of one of the main character’s feelings. There were also some creative tasks (word field…), which made the whole thing more bearable and interesting. After four or five weeks we had to finish our reading logs which made us full of relief, indeed. 

All in all the result was really good and we learned a lot about different cultures etc. But we would prefer more time and more interesting tasks.

Anna, Kathrin, Robin (9b)

Here is some feedback from our classmates:

I actually enjoyed writing the reading log and I also liked the story. I already knew it before so it was easier for me. My favourite task definitely was the additional voluntary task („Do you also have a dream? Make a collage.“). It was just like I wouldn't do it for school but more for myself. I also like writing (long) texts and so I was very busy but it didn't go on my nerves. I think I'd like to do that a second time.

(Robin, 9b)

I liked the story of the novel, because is about football which is my favourite sport. The most interesting part was the chapter about the wedding and the football match. It is friendly of Jess' father to let Jess go to the football match. I also enjoyed the reading log. But next time I wish more creative tasks like a dialogue. My favourite task was the mind-map about football.

(Tobias, 9b)

I liked the story but at first I didn't understand everything. After a while things went easier. The most interesting part for me was, when they had the match in Hamburg. Sometimes it was difficult to work on documents for the reading log, like for example on the plot summary or the characterization, because you have to look back in the novel several times. Next time I would like to do more „creative tasks“, maybe draw a picture or make a photostory about a chapter.

(Zippora, 9b)

I liked the ending of the novel most. It was a bit surprising and a happy ending. But at first it wasn't that easy to read the book, because I had to concentrate very much. But when I started to write the text for the reading log, I understood some things in the content much better than before. I liked to write a text about Joe's and Jess' feelings, but I think, we had to do too many exercises. All in all it was a nice project.

(Tamara, 9b)

For those readers who are interested in the content of the novel, here are some examples of book reviews which the pupils of both classes wrote:

Book review

The novel „Bend it like Beckham“, written by Narinder Dhami deals with an Indian girl called Jess. She loves playing football but because of her culture her parents don’t allow her to play and they don’t want her to play seriously in a team. During the book Jess takes part at a serious football team and she falls in love with her coach. She often has to use white lies because her parents shouldn’t notice her secret hobby.

I think on the whole the book is good, but some chapters are a bit boring, because they nearly only deal with football and matches. But all in all it’s a funny and emotional story.

The book is written in a good point of view, because Jess is the first-person narrator and she describes her feelings and her social environment in a funny way. The main characters are the two football-loving girls, Jess and Jules and their coach Joe. I think that these three main characters really have different personalities, but they are all likeable and strong and they don’t give their dream up. During the story the characters are getting closer to each other and become friends and Joe and Jess also fall in love.

I think the ending is a bit surprising, but I like it, because it’s a happy ending, Joe and Jess will stay together and Jess is allowed to go to a professional university in America.

On the one hand the book is a bit difficult to read, because it contains many new vocabulary. But on the other hand the language is modern and humorous. Also I like the message of the book, that you should realize your dreams.

So all in all I like the book I would certainly recommend the book anyone who is interested in football and emotional stories. Furthermore I think the book is suitable for football interested girls and boys at the age of 12 to 13 in the German version and for pupils in the ninth or tenth class in the English version.

(Anki, 9b)

Book review

The young adult novel Bend it like Beckham by Narinder Dhami is about an Indian girl that lives with her family in London. She´s called Jesminder (Jess). Jess isn´t like most of the other girls, she loves to play football. Her dream is to play professionally like David Beckham, that is her idol because noone can bend the ball like him.

The book has an emotional story and there was enough action with football, that was a good variety. I think it was good that the story was told in the first person narrator from Jess' point of view because then you know what it is like to be an Indian girl in England. I really like the character of the protagonist, she´s very nice. The story has gentle, lovable, strong and weak types of flat character, they´re very different.

I think the story has a happy ending but it was predictable. The language is difficult to understand because there are many words that I didn´t understand. The style is original but there´s a lot of slang language. The novel conveys a clear and positive message that you can do everything when you really want it.

All in all I would recommend the book to anyone who´s interested in football and dramatic from the age of 14 to 30. Because of the variety is the book for girls and boys.

(Dennis P., 9b)

Book review

The novel “Bend it like Beckham” written by Narinder Dhami and published in 2002 is about an Indian girl who lives in England and has the dream of a career as a professional football player. The book is very exciting because on the way to live her dream, there are many problems she has to cope with.

The main character is Jesminder Bharma (Parminder Nagra), a strong girl, who wants more than just getting married and create a family. That´s why the story is so emotional. Two cultures, the modern and the traditional, crash together and with the first-person narrator the story is more interesting because you can see the feelings and thoughts of the person. 

Apart from the football story you can find out something about the Indian culture and you see that there's something new for Jess (short name of Jesminder): Love.  For all girls, maybe for boys too, it's nice to read a love story.

There are two climaxes in the book. The first when Jess is in Germany and nearly kisses her coach and the second when Jess' team wins the tournament. 

At the end of the book there is a surprising turning point. 

(Lavdim, 9b)

Book review

The novel “Bend it like Beckham“ by Darinder Dhami is about a young girl named Jess whose biggest dream is to play football and not just in the park. It's difficult to fulfill Jess' dream, because Jess' parents don't want her to play football.

Because it's written in Jess' point of view, the book is a gripping and the story is easy to understand. You know all about the tricky situations and Jess' feelings. The emotional pieces captivate the reader, sometimes it's sad, sometimes happy and humorous.

“Bend it like Beckham“ is also not monotonous! Especially the turning point of the story, when Jess' father let her go to the important game on Pinky's wedding, makes the story interesting. In addition the book brings the message not to give up and to fight for your dreams.

The bad thing about the novel is the difficult language. You have to look up words in the dictionary often and read chapters once more. 

All in all I can definitely recommend the book to people who are interested in football or are in a situation like Jess. The story could be a help for them. The novel would be good for young people at the age of 13 to 17.

(Zippora, 9b)

Book review

The young adult novel Bend it like Beckham by Narinder Dhami deals with an eighteen year old Indian girl, named Jesminder Bhamra. She grows up in a very strict religious family. Her parents came from Nairobi to Great-Britain and they live there in Southall, a part of London where many families of Indian origin live. Jess got the dream to play professional football, but that doesn't match with her parents' ideas. They want their daughter to cook the traditional Indian dishes, to complete law school and to get married to a nice young Indian man.

The book has a gripping story, with a few implausible moments. Because sometimes a lot of things happen coincidentally. It is written from the view of a first-person narrator. The protagonist Jesminder Bhamra is a likable, lively and strong young woman, who pursues her dream, playing football professionally. The novel ends happily for everyone, but also surprisingly, because no-one thought that Jess could convince her parents. The language is a bit difficult, but when you read the book, without looking up every single word, it is easy to read. The novel conveys a clear message, that you can reach everything you want. The climax is well introduced and written excitingly. It's when Jess wins the final match and gets her parents' permission to go to America. The turning point is surprising and unexpected. That's when Jess scores the free kick. Henceforth her life changes.

All in all, I would definitely recommend the book to anyone, who is interested in football and Indian traditions.

(Max, 9a)

Book review: Bend it like Beckham

The young adult novel “Bend it like Beckham” by Narinder Dhami is about an Indian girl whose dream is to play football professionally. Without the permission of her parents she tries to follow her dream. In the beginning she plays in the park with her mate Tony and some other guys until she starts playing for Hounslow Harrier’s girls’ side. In the end she convinces her parents and gets a scholarship in America to learn how to play professionally.

In my opinion the story is magnificent because it’s extracted from the real life. It seems like this could happen every day in every family, like it wouldn’t matter which religion you have or which nationality. The first-person narrator makes the story even more realistic and imaginative. That’s why you can put yourself better in Jess’ position. So the reader can understand her feelings and her decisions better. As the protagonist, Jess, is a girl, the book is more for girls – I think. Jess is a lovable and strong character. She always believes in her dream and doesn’t give up her hopes. So the novel has a happy ending: Jess and Jules reach their dream, but still it would be exciting to know how they develop in America. As the story is often written in slang it’s a bit more attractive to read for teenagers. In addition it’s easier for them to find the message of the novel, which is quite clear in this case: Everybody should follow his or her dream. In my opinion there is more than one climax, as an example when Mr. Bhamra allows Jess to play in the final match or when Jess’ and Joe’s relationship starts. To my mind the turning point in this story is when Jess decides to tell her parents the truth.

All in all I would recommend this book to girls who are interested in football, but it’s interesting for girls with other dreams as well. In my view the book is suitable for children at the age of 10-14 years. Maybe it’s even interesting for immigrants: It could give them hope so that they follow their own dream after having read this book.

(Lucia, 9a)

GRM, GUV