Sports (KS2)

Jaz Santos vs the World is the first in a new series about a girl who gathers an unlikely group of friends together to make their own girls’ football team. This is an inclusive and empowering tale with a real-life feel that will appeal to fans of Cath Howe and Jacqueline Wilson.

When Jaz finds a leaflet advertising a girls’ football tournament, she seizes the opportunity to take back some control. Thinking carefully about how to sell the idea to her classmates, Jaz pours heart and soul into rallying a team of girls to prepare for the tournament. From fundraising to training, Jaz leaves no stone unturned – with her passionate hopes of proving that girls can be taken seriously in football matched only by her desire to get mum back.

With girls’ football growing more popular than ever, this is an empowering book with a dynamic and entertaining main character who shows what can happen when somebody leads the way in a new sporting initiative. 

This timely and heart-warming story about teamwork, self-belief and following your passions in the face of life’s ups and downs is likely to score big with readers aged 8-11.

‘Memories don’t always have to come from things’. When Maya looks to find her Grandpa’s cricket bat, despite it perhaps upsetting her Mama and Papa, it inspires her to start the school cricket club. Even though she is unable to find the bat herself, the cricket team begins training but with a surprise coach – not her dad like she expected, but her mum!

Training is gruelling but there is a reason behind it – her mum’s passion. Lots of different characters join the team and whilst it takes Maya time to warm to some of them, they band together as a team. The story develops and encapsulates how children need to adjust: to moving countries, to moving homes, to navigating friendships and school experiences. It explores the theme of kindness and how people remember when people are kind to them.

Maya is always shadowed by ‘Mind’ which I feel refers to the importance of her thoughts and feelings. The fact that Mind is always at the forefront of the decisions Maya makes shows the reader the significance of our minds on not only us as players but as friends and family members.

A thoroughly enjoyable football-themed read set in 19th-century Sheffield. This book tells the story of Lijah –  a Romani boy living in a Traveller camp. Lijah enjoys collecting scrap with his dad and brother, travelling on the cart and listening to his dad’s stories by the fire.

Lijah reluctantly starts school and at first, he struggles with reading and faces prejudice when some of the other children call him ‘gypsy’ or ‘tramp’. However, he soon discovers a fascination for a new game called football and finds a way to join in with the other boys.

Back home, Lijah meets a local businessman called Jack Davis. Over time, Jack bonds with Lijah over his passion for football and tells him about a famous Romani player called Rab Howell. Can Lijah follow in his new hero’s footsteps while still staying true to his roots and keeping peace with his dad?

This quick and compelling read deals with big themes of heritage, family, changing times and prejudice in sport. The story provides an original new angle into the stream of football storybooks available, and it was interesting to consider the time when professional football was first becoming popular and the legacy of Sheffield in football history, as well as to learn about Rab Howell. Many young readers will relate to the difficulty Lijah encounters balancing cultural traditions with modern life, as well as the tensions between family expectations and following one’s passions.

It is really refreshing to see a book based around a love of sport – especially cricket – with a female protagonist. Last Girl In features Kerry-Ann, a young girl living in modern-day London, who completely encapsulates her Jamaican heritage.

This is a fairly quick read most suitable for KS2 pupils and one that features themes most pupils can relate to such as rivalry between peers, family links and sporting prowess, alongside themes which some pupils will strongly feel but will be new to others such as experiences of racism, discovering other cultures and feelings of shame.

Kerry-Ann and her friends are huge lovers of cricket and the book centres around their battle for fair use of the cricket ground against the ‘stronger’ athletes. Kerry-Ann has a strong relationship with her family, most notably her Grandfather who is also a big cricket fan and part of the Windrush generation. Teachers should be aware when reading aloud that some characters’ dialogue is strong Jamaican Patois.

This is a good introduction to books set in different timelines and there is an element of magic as Kerry-Ann is transported to the London of her grandfather’s time to experience some of the battles he witnessed. There is enough storyline outside of cricket to hold the attention of those without a sporting interest and the book manages to cover many themes without them seeming ‘shoe-horned’ in for the sake of it. This story is completely and unapologetically immersed in Kerry-Ann’s culture, past and present.

A thoroughly up-to-date modern horse novel, exploring the clash of a very traditional sporting world with modern concerns about animal welfare, compounded by the knife-edge of living your life in the spotlight of social media.

The personalities of the different horses shine off the page as much as main character Hannah does. However, Hannah’s at that age where she’s starting to find out that adults are not always truthful or honest, even her own family – a coming-of-age which is painful to say the least. Hannah takes some real risks to unpick the mystery she’s uncovered, to stand her ground against adults, and there’s a great deal to admire about her. She’s extremely persistent in her concern for horse welfare and willing to sacrifice a competition – maybe her future showjumping career – to save a horse and put a stop to cruelty.

Written by England football captain Leah Williamson with her cousin Jordan Glover, The Wonder Team and The Forgotten Footballers is the story of Leah, Mimi and George – a group of friends who find a time capsule and end up travelling back in time to 1921, a time when the government had banned women’s football.

This is a story of friendship and of working together to stand up for what you believe in. When the future of women’s football is threatened, the trio have to pull together with their new friend Dot to ensure the final game can go ahead. This is a great book for any child interested in football and builds on the success of the Lionesses.

It provides interesting insights into the differences between life now and 100 years ago. the illustrations by Robin Boyden help to show this in more detail.

This is an interesting and feel-good story, which, although it centres around a love of football, is so much more than that.

Sam is obsessed with football – in particular Aaron Ramsey, from the Welsh national team. He lives with his parents and younger sister, but money is tight, family life is marred by arguments, and his Dad, Huw, is secretly illiterate. Huw is also football-mad and when he is signed as a player by local club Peniel, the future looks brighter and home life becomes happier.

Tragically, after a very successful debut game, a terrible injury cuts short Huw’s fledgling career and an awful sadness seeps into the family; Sam’s way of escaping his dad’s depression and his own anxieties (that he nicknames The Bad) is by immersing himself in Aaron Ramsey videos. Home is quiet and unwelcoming. Then hope arrives in the form of a Wales vs England game at Cardiff and a force-of-nature friend who gives the family something to aim for and makes Huw consider his choices.

The story has clever hook lines at the end (and even at the beginning) of chapters to keep the reader eager for more, plus themes of anxiety, friendship, bullying, resilience, mental health and educational struggles. There’s definitely enough to interest those without a particular interest in football too. I enjoyed it.

This exciting, well-written book would be great for children in KS2 and lower KS3.

The story follows Gemma and her family, delving into a secret that Gemma does not know about. This modern story intertwines themes of friendship, family relationships, courage and tennis are gripping throughout. Getting to know Gemma throughout the book, the reader comes to understand the emotions that the character is feeling. There are relatable themes and characters in the book that add to the excitement. This book could be relatable to children who may not have close relationships with their wider family or have close bonds with one main caregiver.

Getting to find out the family secret and how Gemma deals with this shows the sensitivity and courage of her character. The book is full of funny moments that a wide variety of children will enjoy. It is a lovely read and one that could be used as a class novel or recommended to a wide range of readers. As the story centres around tennis and learning more about the sport, this would be a great book to encourage children who have an interest in sport or during Wimbledon. It was a great read and is highly recommended.

Lily has always felt she’s on the edge. On the edge of friendship groups and the edge of her own life, looking in. Until one day a teacher inspires her to join the local girls’ football team. Lily usually finds school difficult because she’s shy and anxious, but now begins to find her feet, quite literally, playing football. Her confidence soars, and finally she feels she’s part of a team. Despite a teammate and her inner demons putting her progress in jeopardy, she overcomes the mental challenges and succeeds.

This is a fantastic and well-crafted book. I especially enjoyed the history of women’s football, which was referred to after each chapter. Each chapter had a subchapter on icons of women’s football as well as the journey women have had to go through to be taken more seriously, but not yet as seriously as men, on the pitch.

This inspiring book is accessible from age 7 upwards, written in a dyslexia-friendly format with easy vocabulary for all to comprehend. This is a book to be read independently or with their families and one that will inspire future footballers, whether girls or boys, for a long time to come.

An enjoyable sports-themed graphic novel recommended for Year 5 and Year 6.

This graphic novel oozes individuality. It’s the story of Astrid, a middle-grade girl on the cusp of adolescence and coping with all the problems that come pre-prescribed.

Roller Girl packs much in: friendship, mother/daughter relationships, being yourself and self-belief (also hair-dye), all under the backdrop of roller derby (to say it’s a sport not for the faint-hearted is an understatement)!

Women in Sport is a superbly illustrated non-fiction text focusing on exceptional women athletes who became trailblazers or game-changers in their chosen sports

Each spread contains a short and interesting explanation of a different sportswoman’s achievements and a compelling illustration with additional facts blended into the design. The artwork is impressively bold and unapologetic like many of the book’s subjects and there are also pages containing infographics such as timelines, anatomical diagrams and statistics about equality in sports.

What we love is that the style and format makes the subject matter appealing and accessible to a range of children in KS2 and KS3 and we therefore think it is a really important text that inspires readers to overcome barriers and go for gold.

A positive-thinking manual full of insights from one of the nation’s favourite football personalities, who inspires both on and off the pitch.

Everyone struggles with bouncing back from difficulties at times, even footballing heroes. In this easy-to-read book, Marcus Rashford shares insights into his experiences of finding confidence in the face of adversity and focusing instead on making a positive impact in the world. The book encourages readers to persevere when things get tough, to learn to reframe negative thinking and how to improve self-confidence when doubts settle in, as well as to find a voice against injustice and make a difference in the world.

An inspiring book that football fans will love to pick up. Even those without a passion for the sport will be inspired by the key messages.

A motivational book for children who are inspired by the success of the Lionesses.

Three of the Lionesses from the recent World Cup and Euro squads (Ella Toone, Georgia Stanway and Nikita Parris) have worked with writer Cheryl Rickman to create a book aiming to inspire children to achieve whatever goals they set themselves, learn to deal with challenges that arise and promote mental and emotional wellbeing. The three players discuss openly how they got to their positions playing for the national team and emphasise that hard work, a sense of determination and support from those around you are key in taking steps to succeed. The book also features lots of personal stories and practical tips which can apply to everyday life.

Whilst the book uses the context of football to appeal to young girls, the content and key messages are suitable for all. Readers may wish to note that it does contain references to puberty and hormonal changes in girls, so I would recommend this for age 9 plus.

This book is one to read in instalments and revisit rather than read all at once in my opinion. I feel that there are a lot of important messages that may be otherwise lost as the book is quite long. As an introduction to self-help books, this is ideal given the recent success of the Lionesses. It also signposts many organisations and charities at the end of the book which readers may wish to engage with.

The perfect book for any football fan! Simon Mugford’s informative text set alongside Dan Green’s fun and realistic illustrations makes for an engaging read that will leave children knowing a lot more about Mo Salah.

The text is formatted in a highly visual and easy-to-read way so that it can engage a range of children, including readers embarking on their first chapter books as well as older reluctant readers. Small chunks of text are interspersed with key stats and tables throughout that will engage football fans.

There is also a free-to-download pack of Teachers’ Notes and Activities to accompany the series. Interspersed throughout the book are a range of jokes that children will enjoy. The text is displayed in a range of interesting ways, including speech bubbles, fact boxes and comic style sequences. The variety on layout keeps readers engaged, while the narrative is simple to follow.

This book is a member of a growing series of ‘Football Superstars’ books, showcasing the best modern-day footballers around. We highly recommended this series to newly independent readers or reluctant readers in KS2.  The books in the series lend themselves well to being collected, swapped and shared like football cards. Many children know snippets about these players but these books provide a detailed insight into every aspect of the footballer’s life.