The Penalty is a fictional sports novel for children

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 by Mal Peet

Mal Peet

Mal Peet is an English author who writes mainly for young adults. His novels have won several awards, including the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.- Biography :...

, published on October 2, 2006 by Walker Books Ltd

Walker Books

Walker Books is an independent British publisher of children's books, founded in 1978 by Sebastian Walker.The success of their Where's Wally? series enabled them to expand into the American market, starting a sister company called Candlewick Press in 1991.Amelia Edwards, co-founder of Walker Books,...

. The plotline is centered around El Brujito (The Little Magician), a teenage football prodigy who disappears without a trace. Paul Faustino, one of South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

's top sports journalist is drawn to the mystery and unfolds the story behind the disappearance. The novel is aimed at teens to young adult.