The Tampa Bay Rowdies are committed to empowering youth through the joy of literacy. With a focus on creating engaging and inclusive learning experiences, the Score through Stories Summer Reading Program champions education as a pathway to achievement, empowering students to excel both in the classroom and beyond.

Ready to Score?

Download a Playbook Card, pick up a book, and start reading! Every time you hit a new reading milestone, you’ll move down the field, inching closer to scoring a goal! Ask your parent or guardian to sign your Playbook Card as you accomplish each milestone and bring it to your local Hillsborough or Pinellas County Library, or Great Explorations Children’s Museum. A representative from the library or museum will sign your card and give you a fun prize for being a world-class reader! Playbooks can be downloaded online or picked up at your local Hillsborough or Pinellas County Library, or Great Explorations Children’s Museum starting May 18th, 2026. Reading prizes can be redeemed starting May 26th, 2026.

Reading Prizes

• Read 3 hours to earn a Family 4 Pack for Great Explorations Museum and Strip Sticker!
• Read 4 more hours to earn a pair of Rowdies Sunglasses!
• Read 5 more hours to earn 2 tickets to a Rowdies home game from the list below!

Rowdies Home Games Eligible for Ticket Prize Redemption

• June 13, vs Hartford Athletic, 7:30 PM
• July 4, vs Lexington, 6:00 PM
• July 11, vs FC Naples,7:30 PM
• August 15, vs Rhode Island FC, 7:30 PM
• September 5, vs Brooklyn FC, 7:30 PM
• October 3, vs Miami FC, 7:30 PM

Recommended Reading

Read Alouds (Picture Books), Suggested for Ages 3-6

• Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
• Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure by Jimmy Fallon
• I am Extraordinary by Stephen Curry
• I Want to Be a Referee by Brianna Battista
• Maisy’s Field Day by Lucy Cousins
• My First Book of Soccer by Beth Bugler
• The Way Champs Play by Naomi Osaka
• We Play Soccer/ Jugamos al Fútbol by René Colato Laínez

Beginning Readers, Suggested for Ages 5-7

• April & Mae and the Soccer Match: The Tuesday Book by Megan Dowd Lambert
• The Cool Bean Makes a Splash by Jory John
• Kick it, Mo! by David A. Adler
• On the Team by Cecilia Minden
• Yasmin the Soccer Star by Saadia Faruqi

Chapter Books, Suggested for Ages 8-12

• Bea is for Blended by Lindsey Stoddard
• José and Feliz Play Fútbol by Susan Rose
• Mia and Friends by Karlin Gray
• The Soccer Encyclopedia by Clive Gifford
• Tangerine by Edward Bloor
• 99 curiosidades que nadie sabe sobre el Fútbol by Reysa
• ¡Campeones de rebote! by Laura Tárraga and Sandra Díaz
• El Campo Flotante: Cómo un grupo de niños tailandeses construyó su propio campo de fútbol by Scott Riley
• Domingo de fútbol by Mary Pope Osborne
• Merci Suárez Se Hace La Lista by Meg Medina
• ¿Quién fue Pelé? by James Buckley, Jr.

Young Adult Books, Suggested for Ages 13+

• Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams
• Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
• A Greater Goal by Elizabeth Rusch
• The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons
• Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice by Dawud Anyabwile, Derrick Barnes, and Tommie Smith
• Amor En juego by Elena Armas

Rowdies Activity Book

Local Library Webpages and Resources

• Charlotte County – https://charlottefl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/libraries
• Citrus County – http://www.citruslibraries.org/
• Hernando County – http://hernandocountylibrary.us/
• Hillsborough County – http://HCPLC.org
• Indian Rocks Beach – http://www.indian-rocks-beach.com/irb_library.php
• New Port Richey – http://nprlibrary.org/
• Pasco County – http://pascolibraries.org/
• Pinellas County – http://www.pplc.us
• Polk County – http://www.mypclc.org/
• Sarasota County – www.sarasotacountylibraries.org
• St. Petersburg Library System – https://splibraries.org/

Please email scorethroughstories@rowdiessoccer.com for more information.