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Keeping Possession

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Book Synopsis

Talented defender Eboni navigates balancing new friendships with her passion for football in this sensitively told tale from acclaimed author Eve Ainsworth.

Eboni’s decision to join the Lightmoor Lionesses has led to a falling-out with her closest friends on her old team. They feel betrayed and Eboni is frozen out at school.

Feeling isolated, she’s delighted when she forms a new friendship with popular Olivia, quickly realising they have loads in common. But there’s one problem. Olivia isn’t interested in football and can’t understand Eboni’s dedication to the sport that she loves.

Will Eboni stay true to herself or will she sacrifice her footballing dreams for friendship?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Our Review Panel says...

This is a short book about football and friendship and about holding on to your own identity in the face of peer pressure.

After leaving her joining a new football club, Eboni is struggling with loneliness and alienation having been rejected by her former teammates. When she does make a new connection in school, things look better, until Eboni feels pressured to choose between her new friend and her football commitments. There are strong football action scenes and the book is likely to appeal most to football players and fans, but the combination of the friendship focus and the short format mean it’s also likely to be popular with children who are seeking books that deal with school and friendship issues. These issues are handled sensitively and with empathy.

At the end of the book, there is a short guidance section to support children dealing with friendship problems.The book is the fourth in the Lightmoor Lionesses series. It is published by Barrington Stoke, so the typeface, paper colour and page layout are designed to be accessible for all, including dyslexic readers.