Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Like many secondary school teachers, Jones worries that boys aged between 11 and 14 in particular can struggle with reading. The most recent Sats tests – the national assessments taken by Year 6 pupils – show that just 60 per cent of boys reached the expected standards in maths, reading and writing – compared with 70 per cent of girls. And it’s getting worse for boys, with the proportion reaching the expected standard in reading dipping to 69 per cent in 2019 from 72 per cent the previous year. Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton, the authors of the Football School books Coffee house Caffè Nero has announced the 16-strong shortlist for the inaugural Nero Book Awards, recognising the outstanding books of the past 12... Ben - We are both parents and are passionate about helping kids develop a love of reading and a curiosity about the world. I would have loved to have read these books as a child, because the only time I was not talking or thinking about football was during lessons. In Football School, every lesson is about football AND you are learning about the world. It's a win-win! Alex - The most important thing about our books is that they are entertaining and fun to read. But also we wanted to make sure that children are learning stuff they don't know, from basic facts like capital cities and national flags to important events in global history. So once we find a fantastic fact we work out the best way to present that fact in a humorous and educational way.
Dapo Adeola, Tracy Darnton, Joseph Coelho and Chitra Soundar are among the 19 authors and illustrators longlisted for the Inclusive Books for Child...Alex - Having a collaborator works well in writing a book with humour and learning. We tend to write the questions individually and then send them to the other person...we aim to make each other laugh and learn something new. If Ben's response is "Alex that pun is terrible" then I need to try harder! Alex - Football is the perfect hook to get kids reading because it is a subject they want to read about. And it enables us to include education by stealth. By linking everything to football we can show how in the real world everything is connected. Also, we are friends and we wanted to work together!
The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children... Supporters can easily become obsessed by tactics and formations. Whether the “diamond” trumps the “ false nine” or whether 4-3-3 is just 4-5-1 with lazier forwards? And for those who (pre-Covid) lived for those never-ending pub arguments with no hope of resolution, this book is their bible. Although it stops short of explaining the theory of the ‘67th-minute’ goal. That’s explored in detail in There’s Only One Danny Garvey. SEASON 3: The biology of the foot, football fashion, the chemistry of pitch markings, the physics of why short dribblers are better than tall ones, the greenest club in the world, a history of Spanish football, why football was invented in Sheffield, and more. BUY
More to explore...
Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... You can watch Ben Lyttleton answering questions about the Football School series here on ReadingZone Live: Alex - I loved playing football but was never good enough to play for the school team. As a budding mathematician I always saw my best move as the precise geometrical pass.
Peace’s masterful novel depicting the 44-day tenure of Brian Clough as manager of Leeds United depicts how his paranoia and loneliness (and irrationality) grow with his increasing isolation. Insomnia takes hold and the Clough of the novel struggles to understand why the skills and practices that made him a brilliant football player – prior to career-ending injury – and then a mercurial manager, have apparently deserted him.Ben - We don't always agree and that's the joy of working with someone else. Alex constantly challenges and encourages me to come up with good content, and I (hopefully) do the same with him. We know that the other person can often improve our work, and that helps us be creative in the first place.
Books compete with the Xbox and similar things where they’re getting entertainment instantly,” says Jones. “The Football School books are about showing pupils you can have the same level of enjoyment from reading.”
About Author
Dig deeper and you’ll find books framed against the game’s irrational passions and ambitions that are among the best books written about anything. Don’t believe me? Have a look at my Top 10. It should have been 11, but Ayrshire Junior football teams always get one sent off early for dissent. So, in that spirit, here are the 10 still on the field as the final whistle blows.
Great Deal 
New Comment