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In a nutshell: thrilling, vivid rugby action, history, ghosts Readers who enjoy rugby or any kind of sport will love Gerard Siggins’ Rugby Spirit series with its exciting mix of brilliantly described rugby action and ghost story. Eoin Madden is a very talented player, but he has an extra gift too, he can see and talk to ghosts. Throughout this series, he has met, helped or been helped by ghosts of great rugby players, often solving mysteries in the process. In this latest episode, Eoin has been called up to play for Ireland’s Under 16s no less and amidst the excitement ghosts arrive again and help him avert a potential catastrophe. The rugby scenes are as thrilling to read as ever, the setting and descriptions of Eoin’s home life just as vivid and convincing while the ghostly visitors give it an extra edge. Another winner! ~ Andrea Reece There are more books in this series and readers will also enjoy Tom Palmer’s Rugby Academy series from Barrington Stoke. A Piece of Passion from Editor Helen Carr : Ger Siggins never fails to come up with interesting ghosts to haunt Castlerock, the boarding school Eoin Madden and his gang of rugby-mad friends attend. These spirits and their back-stories – Rugby Runner’s ghost, William Webb-Ellis is credited as the creator of the game of rugby! – always intrigue, but I also love the books because of Ger’s skill in describing the ups and downs of Eoin’s life, both on and off the rugby pitch. Friends and rivals, teachers and coaches are so well drawn, and I really enjoy the matter-of-fact way Eoin deals with everything life throws at him, from captaining the junior cup team to helping ghosts to foil crimes or right old wrongs.
This clever, hugely entertaining book is further proof, if it were needed, that football is the best game in the world, and that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can’t learn from studying it. Authors Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton teach physics through looking at the shape of the ball and how it is constructed; geography by examining pitches; business studies via the transfer market (of course); and psychology by studying managerial techniques (from Klopp to Fergie). They also include a section on ‘after school activities’, chapters specifically designed to help you improve your health and concentration skills. Even if you don’t much like football, you’ll be inspired and informed by this book, and it’s a real winner. ~ Andrea Reece
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2017 - Best Books with Facts The authors of this very entertaining book claim that there’s no better way to learn about the world than through football. Hence it is divided into ‘lessons’ – biology, history, physics etc – each of which is packed with fascinating football related information. Business studies looks at footballers’ wages, why they’re paid so much, and where the money comes from; zoology considers famous club mascots; drama looks at goal celebrations ( the Oscar goes to the Icelandic team of Stjarnan and it’s well worth googling them to see why). There are lots of diagrams and cartoon illustrations throughout too and as a football/trivia/information book this is really hard to beat. ~ Andrea Reece
At last, a book to celebrate scootermania! A variety of kids and scooters glide across the pages, depicted in Jim Smith’s instantly recognisable, bright, cartoony illustrations. Katie Blackburn’s rhyming text sets up all sorts of scooter scenarios, and each page has a different scooter adventure, from ‘sunny day’ and ‘caught in a shower’, to ‘covered in stickers’ and ‘flower power’. It’s huge fun to look at and to read out loud. One, two, three, Scoot! ~ Andrea Reece
In a nutshell: thrilling rugby action plus ghosts plus mystery | The latest in Gerard Siggins’ Rugby Spirit series is typically filled with rugby action so vividly described that you feel you’re there on the pitch, together with a solid helping of history, ghosts and mystery. Young Eoin Madden is a midfield dynamo always at the centre of the action, whichever team he’s playing for. In this story he plays so well in a provincial championship for youngsters that he’s picked to play for Ireland Under 16s. As though this wasn’t enough, there’s more drama when the Webb-Ellis cup is stolen from the stadium hosting the tournament. Eoin is particularly concerned, because he’s recently become friends with the ghost of William Webb-Ellis, the man credited with the invention of rugby. The mix of on-pitch and off-pitch action with mystery and history is well handled and there’s lots to appeal to all readers, but particularly young rugby fans. There are more books in this series and readers will also enjoy Tom Palmer’s Rugby Academy series from Barrington Stoke. ~ Andrea Reece A Piece of Passion from Editor Helen Carr : Ger Siggins never fails to come up with interesting ghosts to haunt Castlerock, the boarding school Eoin Madden and his gang of rugby-mad friends attend. These spirits and their back-stories – Rugby Runner’s ghost, William Webb-Ellis is credited as the creator of the game of rugby! – always intrigue, but I also love the books because of Ger’s skill in describing the ups and downs of Eoin’s life, both on and off the rugby pitch. Friends and rivals, teachers and coaches are so well drawn, and I really enjoy the matter-of-fact way Eoin deals with everything life throws at him, from captaining the junior cup team to helping ghosts to foil crimes or right old wrongs.
Ernest Hemingway might have said there are only three real sports – motor racing, bull-fighting and mountaineering – but even he might have been forced to reconsider had he been presented with The Sports Timeline Wallbook. This unique history book covers more than 100 different sports played by humans through the centuries and around the globe, including our own great national pastimes football, rugby and cricket all of which are shown to have origins that will surprise readers. In What On Earth? style all the different sports are illustrated in a timeline that begins two hundred years BC and ends in the current day, providing readers with a unique view of sport throughout human history. A 2 metre long poster will provide hours of entertainment and there’s longer reading too in fun newspaper style reports as well as a quiz. Fascinating and revealing stuff for readers of all ages. ~ Andrea Reece Everything you want to know about all sports from the original Olympics to the present day is crammed into the attractively busy pages of this vast wall chart. Fun to browse but also hugely informative, this chart deserves a place on all walls. Terrifically original publishing. The wallbooks are an amazing feat of publishing. In addition to the Wallbook, The Sports Timeline also includes a Chronicle which features more than 35 newspaper stories and a quiz.
The most innovative approach to non-fiction since Horrible Histories, the What On Earth Wallbooks present information in a way guaranteed to inspire children’s curiosity and to stimulate real enthusiasm for learning. Each one contains a full-colour poster – 2 metres long – that illustrates the complete historical timeline of its subject. Illustrations are accompanied by equally informative captions and there’s longer reading too in the form of spoof newspaper articles and letters to the editor. Billions of years of history at a glance! ~ Andrea Reece The complete collection of hardback What on Earth? Timelines covering Science, Big History, Nature, Sports, Shakespeare and British History. These wallbooks are an amazing feat of publishing. The Timeline shows a complete story on a 2 metre-long timeline. Perfect for younger readers but also relevant to all ages, these comprehensive, accessible and versatile wallbooks are the first ever attempt to illustrate the entire history of nature and natural science on a single piece of paper. In addition to the Wallbook, The Timelines also includes a Chronicle which features more than 30 newspaper stories and a quiz.
Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2017 - Best Books with Facts The authors of this very entertaining book claim that there’s no better way to learn about the world than through football. Hence it is divided into ‘lessons’ – biology, history, physics etc – each of which is packed with fascinating football related information. Business studies looks at footballers’ wages, why they’re paid so much, and where the money comes from; zoology considers famous club mascots; drama looks at goal celebrations ( the Oscar goes to the Icelandic team of Stjarnan and it’s well worth googling them to see why). There are lots of diagrams and cartoon illustrations throughout too and as a football/trivia/information book this is really hard to beat. ~ Andrea Reece
As all eyes turn to Rio this summer, a lot of us will be sitting on the sofa thinking about sport and very probably dreaming about being better at it. Science superstar Glenn Murphy’s witty, fact-filled and very child-friendly book is a great guide to the human body and explains the physics behind different kinds of sport, examining what it takes to be good at anything from running to cross-country skiing, or the high jump. It’s packed too with interesting pieces of information about the history of the different sports and is great for browsing. Reassuringly – sort of anyway – he explains that we all have the ability to reach Olympic levels of speed and strength, and all it takes is about 10,000 hours of sports training … ~ Andrea Reece
Records and reputations, cheats and champs, victors and venues - here's the lowdown on the modern Olympic games, from bestselling author and illustrator, Richard Brassey.
When did the Olympic Games begin? Who are the greatest athletes? With dramatic photos of Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill and more, this is the story of the world's biggest multi-sport event, from Ancient Greece to 2016. With internet links to selected websites, and index and contents pages and produced with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). You might also like The Olympic Games Sticker Book by the same author & illustrator team!
Maps are wonderful things and this practical and inspiring book explains to children perhaps too used to relying on satnavs and iPhones how to use maps, and even how to make them. It’s full of fascinating facts on the different ways humans have invented to represent the world on paper and to safely navigate the globe. The information is clearly laid out and very attractive to look at, and this is a book to encourage browsing. Justin Miles is an explorer and adventurer and the final sections suggest kids head out on their own expeditions; they might very well be inspired to do that after reading this book. ~ Andrea Reece
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