The Beautiful Game
Alan Gibbons author Chris Chalik illustrator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Published:6th Apr '17
Should be back in stock very soon
Football fiction packed with facts! (Dyslexia-friendly)
Fact and fiction intertwine in this heartfelt tribute to football, honouring victims of Hillsborough and other disasters, and celebrating trailblazing black players.
Fact and fiction intertwine in this heartfelt tribute to football, honouring victims of Hillsborough and other disasters, and celebrating trailblazing black players.
Football is Lennie's life, like his dad and grandad before him. But then Lennie gets involved with some fans who want to cause trouble at a game.
Dad and Grandad understand only too well the cost of fan violence, official neglect and racism in football, and they take Lennie on a whistle-stop tour of the dark side of the beautiful game.
Packed with facts about football disasters and controversies, this passionate and timely book charts the highs and lows of our national obsession.
Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
"Writing well for younger or reluctant readers is a real skill and Gibbons is brilliant at it … a touching and necessary tribute" – The Letterpress Project
"Examines the worst events in football in a way that enables young fans to understand what happened and why. A fan himself, [Alan Gibbons'] book still celebrates the best of football too as a way to bring people together" – LoveReading4Kids
"This book is ideal to engage reluctant reading football fans. It's a really insightful read, worthy of the widest possible audience" – Parents in Touch
"Perhaps only Alan Gibbons who has foot in both Manchester and Liverpool's tight-knit communities – could have written such a well-rounded and informative short story. Highly recommended for reluctant readers and football addicts alike" – The School Librarian
"Written with reluctant readers in mind, the writing is clear and compelling. Also featuring interesting fact sheets that will please the most history-hungry fans, this book is a top scorer" – CBI
ISBN: 9781781126912
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 7mm
Weight: 130g
72 pages