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best books about girls and womens football

Books About Girls’ Football

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, with the Women’s World Cup  in full swing, why not kick off your summer reading with these inspiring books about girls’ football?

The Most Incredible True Football Stories The England Edition

The Most Incredible True Football Stories: The England Edition

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.

10 recommendations for World Cup themed books

Books About The Football World Cup

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.

Gus the Famous Football Cat

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.

Match World Cup Diary 2018

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!

Ultimate Football Heroes: Road to the World Cup

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.

The Story of the 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.

F2: Football Academy

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.

Keeper

Chapter book

The extraordinary debut novel by Carnegie Medal-winning author Mal Peet about football, magic and self-discovery.

The award-winning first novel from Carnegie Medal-winning Mal Peet introduces legendary sports journalist Paul Faustino and the haunting tale of the world’s greatest goalkeeper: the man they call El Gato,”the Cat”. As Paul interviews El Gato, the World Cup stands on the table between them. In the hours that follow, El Gato tells his incredible story – how he, a poor logger’s son, learns to become a World Cup-winning goalkeeper so good he is almost unbeatable. And the most remarkable part of this story is the man who teaches him: the mysterious Keeper, who haunts a football pitch at the heart of the claustrophobic rainforest…

Dead Ball

Chapter book

Russian billionaire Dmitri Tupolev and a mystery Englishman agree to fix an important match in Russia’s favour by intimidating the England goalie, Alex Finn. But Alex goes against their wishes. His punishment: an ‘accidental’ car crash and he’s out of the return game in Russia.

Something is going on with England’s replacement goalie, and Danny soon finds himself caught up with the criminals of the footballing underworld. Will he unravel the match-fixing mystery?

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