May 2014, Oxford University Press, 224 Pages, Paper back, Review Copy
Content: Football, laughs, cringes, more football
Summary from Oxford University Press
'I play for North Star Galaxy and this is the story of our first
season. I don't know how it's going to end - but I hope it will be at
the World Cup Finals this summer! I'm going to tell you everything that
happens - the truth - however painful that might be.'
Charlie loves football. He watches it, memorizes facts about it, and he's even the captain of the local youth team, North Star Galaxy.
When Charlie discovers that youth teams are being selected to play in exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament later that year he decides to enter North Star. There's one problem. He's got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that's not easy when your team are kind of rubbish at football!
This book takes the form of Charlie's competition entry for his team to play a warm-up match at the World Cup - it's crammed with hilarious doodles, true facts, and match reports, and is totally accessible for boys, girls, reluctant readers, and footie-mad kids everywhere!
Charlie loves football. He watches it, memorizes facts about it, and he's even the captain of the local youth team, North Star Galaxy.
When Charlie discovers that youth teams are being selected to play in exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament later that year he decides to enter North Star. There's one problem. He's got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that's not easy when your team are kind of rubbish at football!
This book takes the form of Charlie's competition entry for his team to play a warm-up match at the World Cup - it's crammed with hilarious doodles, true facts, and match reports, and is totally accessible for boys, girls, reluctant readers, and footie-mad kids everywhere!
The Mole's thoughts
I was dubious about this book at first because I have never been a fan of football - but I needn't have worried because this book is about teams more than football and anyway the scrapes Charlie manages to get himself into make it more of a comedy. I did find the pages somewhat busy and distracting. I tried leaving the pictures to comeback to later but sometimes those pictures are a continuation of the story so you had to keep paying them a certain amount of attention.
It's a well laid out, quick and easy read that will hook it's target young readers and leave them smiling - and thinking, because like so many books for the young there are lessons to take away and think about.
I feel that this book will certainly appeal to readers aged 9-10 but for more advanced readers I can certainly see appeal going to as young as 7.
Available at most book shops including NRC affiliate Foyles.
Available at most book shops including NRC affiliate Foyles.
Suggested read
What else to read?? Well feel that readers of this book will enjoy The Legend of Frog by Guy Bass which is another busily illustrated story with comedy but this time also adventure - zany adventure.
Nayu - my review for this 10/10E Children's 7 years + read is here.
Nayu - my review for this 10/10E Children's 7 years + read is here.
1 comment:
Glad you found it enjoyable despite not being a football fan, Gerry. Thanks for reviewing it!
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