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Topic: Football World Cup

Following the meteoric rise in popularity of girls’ and women’s football over the past few years, we are delighted to bring you this list of the best children’s books featuring girls’ and women’s football teams.

From historical fiction to non-fiction texts written by some of today’s brightest footballing stars, this list has something to offer all football-mad readers. So why not kick off your reading with these inspiring books about girls’ football?

Non-fiction

Think you know everything about the Three Lions and the Lionesses?

Have you heard of . . .
*The naughty pitch-invading dog that stole the show at the 1962 World Cup?
*The English amateurs who achieved Olympic gold?
*The spy who snuck into training?
*The incredible comeback of the England women’s team?
*The infamous World Cup handball that sealed England’s fate?
*The Lost Lionesses who made it big in Mexico?

The beautiful game has always reigned supreme in England. These incredible and sometimes ridiculous stories may give you some idea of why. From penalty pain to unbelievable comebacks, discover some of the best true tales of our beloved national teams.

Compiled by bestselling author Matt Oldfield, this is the third book in the award-winning Unbelievable Football series and the perfect World Cup gift for football fans everywhere.

As the football World Cup approaches, we are delighted to host a guest post from best selling author Tom Palmer.

In this guest booklist, Tom discusses his top 10 recommendations for World Cup themed books to inspire reading among young football fans.

Reading for pleasure often begins with what the reader is passionate about. For many people that is football. And, with a World Cup this year, this is a great time to engage football fans with reading through the extraordinary wealth of fiction and non-fiction for kids. Available from bookshops and libraries, here’s a list of ten books with World Cup potential.

Chapter book

A funny and heartwarming story about a girl and her pet cat, who becomes a World Cup celebrity!

There’s a football challenge at Yusra’s school and everyone wants to win. Which class can find the best way to predict England’s World Cup results? Yusra has an idea – her pet cat Gus could help! As Gus keeps guessing the scores right, the word spreads and soon everyone wants a piece of the famous football cat. But is the life of a celebrity as purrfect as it seems?

The Reading Ladder series helps children to enjoy learning to read. It features well-loved authors, classic characters and favourite topics, so that children will find something to excite and engage them in every title they pick up. It’s the first step towards a lasting love of reading.

Chapter book

Join the Girls FC as they show the world what it really means to play “like a girl”!

“My name is Megan Fawcett and this is the story of how I set up the best football team in the world. Get ready for kick-off!” Nine-year-old Megan Fawcett loves football and is desperate to be on her school team. She tries everything to get the coach to notice her (even wearing a tiara!), but nothing seems to do the trick. Then Megan has her big brainwave: she could start her own team. An all-girls team! Now she just needs a pitch, a coach – oh, and ten other players… This is the first in a series of fun, topical early readers; join the Girls FC as they take the world by storm!

Chapter book

The first book to kick off the Jamie Johnson football series – as seen on CBBC! An epic tale of dreaming big and chasing glory.

Jamie’s desperate to become Highwood School’s star football player (and in his dreams, Hawkstone United’s, too).

But after he wrecks his chances at the trials, the pressure’s on to prove himself.

Perfect books for every young football/soccer fan

Author Dan Freedman has been a writer for the FA, the Premier League and attended two World Cups with the England team.

Non-fiction

The Match! World Cup 2018 Diary lets you record every game of your World Cup 2018 journey. Make your World Cup predictions and pick your World Cup dream team. Record every match – write in the team line-ups, use stickers to record each goal, card and win. Fill in the match stats, write a match report, choose your star player and rate the match. Fill in the results table for each group. Follow your team’s progress through the championship. Record the best moments, greatest goals and top players.

Featuring over 500 hundred stickers, this fun football diary from the makers of Match! magazine is the perfect gift for young footy fans!

Non-fiction

In this special limited edition book, live the journeys of six football heroes as they begin down the road to World Cup glory. Learn how star players Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Manuel Neuer and Paul Pogba, stepped up for their national sides, and brought them through qualification – ready to go head to head for the 2018 World Cup.

Non-fiction

Brian Glanville’s dramatic history of the world’s most famous football tournament has become the most authoritative guide to the World Cup. His classic, bestselling account is a vivid celebration of the great players and legendary matches in the competition from Uruguay in 1930 to Brazil in 2014 – as well as a bold attack on those who have mismanaged the ‘beautiful game’. Fully revised and updated in anticipation of Russia’s hosting of the event in 2018, this is the definitive book on the World Cup for football fans and novices alike.

Non-fiction

Take your game to the next level with the new book from the world’s biggest football YouTubers, the F2.

We’re the F2 and in our brand new book we’re going to show you how to take your football skills to the next level. In these pages we turn the spotlight on the greatest players, the biggest teams, and most jaw-dropping moments from across the football world, and teach you the skills and the tekkers it takes to be the best!

Want step-overs like Sanchez? Or a piledriver like Ibrahimovic? Or quick-feet like Messi? We show you how. Our book is filled with tips and hacks, as well as the inside track on your favourite stars: Pogba, Suarez, Aguero and the rest.

There’s even a free app that brings the book to life and shows you how to turbo-charge your tekkers! There’s not a moment to lose – open, read, learn, download and get out on the pitch and practise.

Love, peace and tekkers.

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