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Find out moreA you a fan of the beautiful game? We have a range of fiction and non-fiction books about football, football teams & inspirational players.
A handy pocket-sized paperback book packed with skills and tricks to improve technique on the pitch. Covers all areas of playing the 'beautiful game', from the basics of attacking and defending to the complexities of making a perfect corner kick and obeying the offside rule.
A fantastically funny collection of hundreds of the most hilarious football jokes around! Perfect for football fans to enjoy in between those all-important World Cup games, Premier League matches and European Cup finals.
Football is the world’s most popular sport, and the world cup will see millions of people across the globe united in their love of the game. This book will fascinate any fan. It covers all aspects of the game, from early history to modern times, focussing on the people, teams, cups and leagues as well as the moves, the tactics and the places too that make football what it is today. While there are 50 different chapters, you’ll certainly learn more than 50 different things. Pages feature colour photographs making it very appealing to look at while short paragraphs of text in panels mean it’s just right for dipping into, or for catching the eye of reluctant readers. Top of the league stuff!
May 2018 Book of the Month | Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | Alan Gibbons can pack a great deal of story and power into a short extent and that’s certainly the case with this book. It stars a group of young footballers, two of whom – the most talented – are refugees, only recently invited to play with West Team Celtic. Our main character, Sam, is happy to accept them into the squad but a boy called Jordan resents anyone who is better than him, and does his best to keep them out of the team. The drama of the matches is broken up and balanced via short chapters explaining who refugees are, where they come from, and why – something that makes the book much more than just a sports adventure. For the the final scene, everything comes together and there’s a wonderful demonstration of sport’s ability to unite us all, and even, occasionally, to work miracles. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+
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
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
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
These books hit the back of the net every time as far as I’m concerned. Packed full of facts, information and insight on a range of school topics, but all of them explained through football. Subjects covered include biology, via close-ups on footballers’ feet (not nearly as nice as you’d think apparently); physics – why it pays to be small when you’re dribbling (Lionel Messi anyone?); history, includes a look at the creation of the rules of football, something that took place in Sheffield in 1857; while the chapter on English is all about how to be a successful commentator. It’s fascinating stuff, and really memorable too. Anyone who reads this will learn a lot, no matter their age, and they’ll laugh a lot too – much of it is very funny, and cartoons by Spike Gerrell add to the entertainment value. Top of the league reading! One of our 2018 Books of the Year.
The fourth book in the bestselling series that teaches you amazing facts about the world through football. This book is packed with awesome true stories, real science and fascinating facts and will make you laugh loads - and it's all about football! Discover when robots play football, where the highest ever football match took place, how referees keep time in matches and what llamas and professional footballers have in common. With hilarious illustrations throughout and laugh-out-loud gags, this is the perfect book for football-mad children everywhere.
50 True Stories of Football's Greatest Sides | If you like football, you’ll love the Football School series of books by Alex Bellos and Ben Lytttleton and this latest, Terrific Teams is another winner! As England falls deeper in love with the national team, Terrific Teams introduces 50 other great sides, from across the world and different eras, and explains just what made them so good. As a Red, I turned immediately to page 112, to read about the rebirth of Liverpool under the great Bill Shankley and how he developed their winning strategy not in the office, but in the tiny boot room under the main stand. It’s a fun fact, but it tells you a lot. The previous entry is tiny Lewes, saved from bankruptcy in 2010 with the introduction of an inspired share ownership scheme which means there are 1,500 owners; while the entry after Liverpool, is Lyon Women, a trophy-winning machine whose former players include Megan Rapinoe, Lucy Bronze and Dzsenifer Marozsán. This is a fantastic way of examining the variety of the beautiful game, its appeal and the players and fans who make it so special. Unbeatable!
50 Ways to Score a Goal and Other Football Poems includes witty chants, a haiku or two, and fun shape poems about the beautiful game. Laugh together through the Euros or Premier League games, and swap the half-time pundits for puns!
The joy that football brings around the world and its very special ability to link communities is celebrated in the beautiful photographic illustrations to this book. Wherever there is a ball – of any kind from simple and home-made to shop manufactured, someone will love to play football with it. And, just as quality of the ball doesn’t matter, neither does the surface of the ground the game is played on. Across beaches, fields, streets or anywhere else where the ground is mostly flat, football joins people around the world together. Translated by Sean Taylor.