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Find out moreThe World Cup 2018 kicks of in Russia on 14 June - will you and your children be glued to the box or hiding in one?! For all those children who are football fans, Lovereading4kids has assembled a formidable line-up of football related books, for all ages, that will boost a love of reading, as well as a love of the game itself.
This book of quizzes, wordsearches, puzzles and more will really test your knowledge of football and the top teams and players. There’s something fun to do on every page, from answering questions, to working out the identity of mystery players from a set of clues, to picking the odd one out. There’s also the chance to put together your own dream team, and even to design your own strip. It will be great fun to share with friends and family, or just to read to challenge yourself. Just the thing for long journeys or to pass the time while you’re waiting for the world cup to start. ~ Andrea Reece
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2018 | Award-winning illustrator Michael Foreman’s own love of football suffuses this story which perfectly captures the thrill all footballers have of scoring the winning goal. As the new boy in a small local team a young boy dreams that one day he will be out on the pitch and will the strike the winning goal at the World Goal. Full of action and detail, Michael Foreman’s illustrations capture how his youthful dreams and reality merge to create a classic football story. Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for May 2018 Square by Mac Barnett A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge A Perfect Day by Lane Smith Gaspard the Fox by Zeb Soanes & James Mayhew Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman The Sand Dog by Sarah Lean The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell Plantopedia by Adrienne Barman
Told in single words, and through grey pencil illustrations on an admittedly startling green background, this story encompasses anticipation, disappointment, despair, resignation … then hope, surprise and utter joy! A man and his dog lead uneventful lives: one works in a factory, same thing every day, the other looks after the house (ditto). On match days, they watch the game from their sofa, dinner on their knees, and it’s always the same too: Ball. Kicking. Whistle. Blowing. Penalty. Missing. Defeat. Repeat. Until … the man finds himself watching the match alone, and a surprise substitute is brought on to score an amazing goal! The life of a fan is summed up in 32 wonderful pages, this coul~ Andrea Reece
In a nutshell: llama football stars called up for England at the World Cup | Llamas United took the footballing (and book) world by storm in their first adventure, and will win more readers still with their second. Real llamas, they are brilliant footballers, thanks to having eaten the ashes of one of the world’s best players, and their manager young Tim Gravy is determined to take them to the World Cup. And let’s face it, the England national team could do with a shake up! There are some hurdles to overcome, ensuring the llamas and human players bond for example, working out just what is upsetting Tim’s friend and team trainer Cairo, not to mention portions of poisoned lasagne, but it all comes to a climax – doesn’t it always? – with England versus Germany in the final. Wonderfully silly, completely engaging and with top class footballing action, this is one for football fans everywhere. ~ Andrea Reece
Compact enough to fit into a ref’s top pocket, this little book is filled with enough football jokes, songs and limericks to see you through the World Cup. There are old favourites, such as the one about the difference between the England team and a tea bag (the tea bag stays in the cup longer…) but lots of newer ones too – e.g. what does Gareth Southgate drive to work? A 4 x 4 x 2 - while the section on football chants is bang up to date. The jokes are exactly the kind of gags that kids love and will have them laughing whatever’s happening on the pitch (England going out on penalties probably).
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
This is football done as a super-cool picture information book. Forty footballers are introduced over stylish double-page spreads, each one represented in graphic, stylish illustration that picks out distinctive characteristics. Blocks of text integrated into the opposite page fill you in on trophies and honours, games played, goals scored or saved, along with snippets of more unusual and original information (Stanley Matthews was paid £5 a week when he signed for Stoke; Franz Beckenbauer played the 1970 World Cup semi-final with a dislocated collarbone in a sling for 50 minutes). The facts and the figures and these extra bits of insight will make readers feel that they really know these players, and the book is very satisfying as a visual object too.
Grab your football boots and get ready for the 2018 World Cup in this incredible journey around the globe! Football is enjoyed in every nation of the world by millions and millions of different people. This unbelievable round-the-world adventure is a celebration of the beautiful game that will take you through all of the planet's continents.
Everyone at Barry's school has gone football crazy, but Barry gets thrown out of the team (the Mogden Maniacs) for being completeerly rubbish. Then it turns out that his best friend Bunky is a super striker - so Barry becomes his manager. The cup final match is approaching and Bunky's getting carried away with his football fame - can Barry keep his head in the game? Join everyone's favourite Loser on his tenth hilarious adventure! Barry Loser: I am not a loser was selected as a Tom Fletcher Book Club 2017 title. Future Ratboy and the Invasion of the Nom Noms is shortlisted for the Lollies Award 2017.
Miss Charlotte - the new coach of a children's football team - has some odd methods to prepare them for the big match. She decides to teach them to lose! And to have fun. Incredibly, it seems to work, as the kid who was always useless on the pitch suddenly scores a screamer in practice. But will their hopes of victory be dashed when the ambitious star player decides to join the other team?
Football crams dynamic action, breathtaking skills and heartstopping tension into 90 minutes of play. It is sport as drama, making heroes and villains out of its players, managers and officials. So says author Clive Gifford in his introduction to this book, which captures all the excitement, colour and drama of the world’s favourite sport. It’s packed full of information on the game, its key people and its history, as well as on tactics, illustrating these with real life examples from teams and players from across the world. There are stats when necessary, alongside Fact File extras, snippets of unusual and often quirky football info. Action photos in colour contribute to the sense of excitement and passionate emotion provoked by football and fans of the game will love this.
In a nutshell: great football story, accessible to all readers The story told in Kick Off will be familiar to lots of kids from their daydreams. Jackson is a talented footballer and one day after a game in the park, he’s approached by a scout. This leads to a trial at United and the chance to play with their Under 16s. The Cinderella format is irresistible, but there are challenges for Jackson along the way: he has to learn to control his temper for one thing, and to be a team player. Designed to appeal to reluctant or dyslexic readers, the action is non-stop, short sentences ensuring it’s totally accessible, but the story is still thoroughly satisfying and will leave readers wanting to hear more about Jackson. ~ Andrea Reece
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You can keep up with all the World Cup news @FIFAWorldCup and on FIFA World Cup facebook page and don't forget to have a look at The Official FIFA World Cup 2018 website, which has everything your children will need to know in order to become a World Cup expert.
And if you want to remind them about England's triumph in 1966 click here to read more about the epic final.
Finally, if you thought football was lacking in literary connections, consider the Mexico squad of 2002. Their defence included Gabriel, Garcia, and Marquez!
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