Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Smart Soccer Ball Mystery: Machine Learning for Kids - Book 1

The Smart Soccer Ball Mystery: Machine Learning for Kids - Book 1

Castro, Nancy
Castro, Nicolas

Paperback

Series: Machine Learning for Kids, Book 1

Math & ComputersScience & NatureSports & Recreation

ISBN13: 9798252610078
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Apr 23 2026
Pages: 26
Weight: 0.14
Height: 0.07 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
What happens when a smart soccer ball gives the worst advice ever? Nolan, who is 10, can't wait to try the SmartBall 3000, a high-tech soccer ball that's supposed to make him a better player. Then it tells him to close his eyes before taking a penalty kick. With help from his little brother Nathan, their dad, and Oreo, a border collie who causes a lot of chaos, Nolan figures out what went wrong. The ball isn't broken. It learned from bad examples.

The Smart Soccer Ball Mystery is a funny, easy-to-follow story that teaches kids one of the most important ideas in artificial intelligence: AI learns from examples (training data), and it's only as smart as the examples it's given.

Nicolas and Nancy Castro wrote it for their own sons, to help kids understand the technology they're growing up with.

Inside the book:

  • A funny, kid-friendly story about soccer, siblings and one very mischievous dog
  • A plain explanation of how machine learning works, with no screens or coding needed
  • AI Words to Know artificial intelligence, training data, pattern, machine learning and algorithm
  • 7 discussion questions for bedtime, the car ride or the classroom
  • A screen-free Teach Your Family Like AI activity to try at home

For parents: It's an easy way to start talking about AI with curious kids, and it helps them see AI as a tool people teach, not magic.

For teachers and librarians: It's a short read-aloud that fits STEM, computer science and digital literacy lessons for grades 1-4. A free 12-page classroom guide with lesson ideas and activities is available at nickcastrobuilds.com/book.

Perfect for ages 6-10, young soccer fans and any kid who has ever asked, How does AI work?

Book 1 in the Machine Learning for Kids series.

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