Author & Illustrators
I found Mitch Johnson’s first novel for teens, ‘Kick’, impossible to put down, and with ‘Strike’ he’s done it again! ‘Strike’ is a follow on from ‘Kick’ but can equally be read as a stand-alone story.
Challenging, gripping, and perfectly pitched for boys who love football, this book should be on every secondary school library bookshelf! Relatable characters, best friends Owen and Teddy are scouted for the local club and join the football academy. Owen’s dedicated single parent Dad buys Owen a pair of new boots to mark the occasion, but what Owen finds hidden inside one of his boots sends him spinning and turns his football crazy world upside down: a note from a factory worker reading ‘PLEASE HELP US’.
Owen has a choice to make – will he keep his head down and pursue his dreams, or will he speak out and risk losing everything he has longed for?
Mitch Johnson puts the question of integrity and the plight of modern slaves front and centre in this brilliant book that never feels preachy and just draws the reader in.
I have enjoyed both of Mitch Johnson’s previous books, each of them being entirely different from each other and this one. This one is set in a dystopian future with a dose of climate change warning thrown in.
The adventure is both exciting and terrifying – in fact, the climate that they live in and the few remnants of humanity they encounter are equally frightening. It was such an exciting read that I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down because I had to know what was going to happen next.
Ash and Bronwyn are interesting characters because in some ways the reader never knows very much about them; you only know about how they behave and how they act, little else. Up until the crisis point, their worlds have been very narrow, consisting of only their respective villages – so it is a very big deal for them to leave and travel elsewhere. The stories of the past are like myths, and they never really know how the actions of their ancestors have impacted their lives – but the reader does.
Mitch Johnson intended the book to be a reminder to his readers to not mess things up for future generations and in that I think he succeeds. Another excellent book from Mitch Johnson.
Winner of the Branford Boase Award.
Budi’s plan is simple. He’s going to be a star.
Budi’s going to play for the greatest team on earth, instead of sweating over each stitch he sews, each football boot he makes.
But one unlucky kick brings Budi’s world crashing down. Now he owes the Dragon, the most dangerous man in Jakarta. Soon it isn’t only Budi’s dreams at stake, but his life.
A story about dreaming big, about hope and heroes, and never letting anything stand in your way.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Any other comments
Any other comments