Love Football: Love Reading 2014

Speakers and visitors Author Visits Children’s authors specialise in speaking to large groups of children as well as writing for them and visit thousands of schools and libraries between them every year. They talk about their books, inspire a love of reading and lead activities from role-play to penalty shoot-outs to stay as engaging as possible. They usually charge a fee and expenses for making a school or library visit unless they are on tour promoting their books. This is a very brief guide to some of these authors, with contact details and website addresses for more information.

David Bedford Books: The Team series: The Football Machine, Top of the League, Soccer Camp, Superteam, Banned!, Masters of Soccer, Football Rules, Soccer Superstars, World Cup Heroes. (Recommended reading age 7+.) David Bedford visits schools to give fun and interactive talks and workshops promoting reading and writing. In a popular workshop, children invent their very own machine, explain how it works, and begin a story about it. The theme is: hard work pays off – especially when you have a robot on your side! Find out more: www.davidbedford.co.uk

Paul Cookson Books: I’d Rather be a Footballer, Give Us a Goal, The World at Our Feet. Paul is the Poet in Residence at The National Football Museum and for the Everton Collection. Performances and workshops can be for any age and large numbers. Always interactive and always entertaining, audience participation is non negotiable. Funny, original and memorable. Now with added ukuleles. Find out more: www.paulcooksonpoet.co.uk

Narinder Dhami Books: The Beautiful Game series, Bend it like Beckham Narinder Dhami is an immediately recognizable children’s fiction author (Bend it like Beckham was made into a Blockbuster film) who has recently been writing a series of football fiction for girls. Available to do school and library visits, Dhami talks about reading, football, writing books, and her path to becoming an author. Find out more: www.narinderdhami.com

Love Football: Love Reading 2014

Dan Freedman Books: Jamie Johnson series (Recommended reading age 11+.) Dan Freedman visits schools, libraries and festivals around the country. He talks about his books and his career in football, during which he worked with The FA and the England Team. Dan draws on personal experience of talking with players such as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, as well as his own passion for football and reading to inspire and enthuse pupils. Find out more: www.danfreedman.co.uk

Alan Gibbons Books: Total Football series, The Number 7 Shirt. (Recommended reading age 7+.) A former primary school teacher, and multiple-award winner for his writing, Alan knows how to keep children engaged while imparting his love for reading and writing. Alan offers author talks as well as writing workshops for all primary school ages. Find out more: www.alangibbons.com

Anthony McGowan Books: The Bare Bum Gang series. (Recommended reading age 7+.) Anthony’s events are full of fun and laughter, especially his Bare Bum Gang events where he reads from the books (including silly voices), asks the audience to suggest their own gang names and how they would build their gang den. There may also be cartwheels involved somewhere along the line… Find out more: www.anthonymcgowan.com

Tom Palmer Books: Foul Play series (Recommended reading age 9+), Football Academy series (Recommended reading age 7+), The Secret Football Club, Over the Line Tom runs his popular Football Reading Game across the UK. The game is part quiz about football reading, part penalty shoot out in a large inflatable goal with a library-friendly ball. He talks to Years 3 to 8 about being a reluctant reader, and encourages children to talk about reading in front of each other by using their excitement for football. Find out more: www.tompalmer.co.uk

Love Football: Love Reading 2014

Mal Peet Books: Keeper, Penalty, Exposure. (Recommended reading age 12+) Mal Peet enjoys lively dialogues with teenagers, especially those who’ve read his books and have questions at the ready. He’s happy to talk about his passions for football, books, writing, comics and anything else an audience cares to raise. He’ll even read from his books, if asked. Find out more: www.malpeet.com For school visits contact: Sarah Bennett at Walker Books [email protected]

Helena Pielichaty Books: Girls FC series Helena Pielichaty is renowned for her lively, interactive schools’ sessions. With Girls FC she will begin with a potted history of the women’s game and talk about the inspiration behind the series. The performance includes cheerleading and live post-match interviews with ‘players’ from the audience. Suitable for both boys and girls. Find out more: www.helena-pielichaty.com

Bali Rai Books: Soccer Squad series: Starting Eleven, Missing, Stars, Glory! Talks to groups of children aged seven to nine about why football and writing are so much fun! Gets boys excited about reading and writing and girls excited about football. Find out more: www.balirai.co.uk

Sophie Smiley Books: Bobby Charlton and the Mountain, Man of the Match, Team Trouble, Pup on the Pitch, Pirates Ahoy! Snow Goalie, Football Fever (Recommended reading age 7+) An experienced teacher, storyteller and football fan, Sophie is happy to do readings, author visits, and creative writing sessions with any age group. Find out more: www.andersenpress.co.uk For school visits contact: [email protected]

Love Football: Love Reading 2014

Jonny Zucker Books: Striker Boy series Jonny specialises in half and full day writing workshops aimed at young creative writers who want to learn more about the craft. However, he is also available to work with larger groups or give general talks about reading that tie into his Striker Boy football fiction series. Find out more: www.jonnyzucker.co.uk

Other guest speakers As well as football authors, there are other great people you can invite to your school or library to talk enthusiastically about reading. Local paper sports journalists can be wonderful guests. Often from the same streets as the children in your area, they can talk about how they get to see lots of sport for free, how they meet and know footballers and how they became a journalist. Read your local sports pages and identify the right journalist. Contact them by phone or the email address often listed in the paper, or via the newspaper’s editor. Local football club coaches and players can be great speakers, if you can choose the right one and encourage them to talk enthusiastically about reading. Non-league clubs are very keen to attract new fans, especially families, and are likely to accept your invitation. And as long as they are wearing a club tracksuit the children will hang on their every word. Football clubs are not always easy to contact. They often have someone who manages public appearances of players and other staff. Try and find them on the club website or phone the club switchboard. The job titles of the people you need to speak to will be: Head of Communications/Education, Player Liaison Officer, Football in the Community Officer or someone on the press or media team.

Guests from within It can be expensive and difficult to get a guest speaker in, but there are options within a school or library. The following could speak about reading during the World Cup: older children or young adults, other teachers who love football or someone from the local council sport centres. Any of these could give an inspiring talk on what children could read about the World Cup, passing on their enthusiasm.

Love Football: Love Reading 2014

Books written by football players Those authors who are also known for being football players themselves will most likely be focusing their attention on events unfolding in Brazil during the summer. However, your pupils may be thrilled to make the link between the player they know from the field and the stories written by these stars that they can avidly read for themselves. Look out in particular for:

Frank Lampard England and Chelsea midfielder Frank has written the Frankie’s Magic Football series, including a brand new World Cup special, Frankie and the World Cup Carnival. Find out more: www.frankiesmagicfootball.co.uk

Theo Walcott England and Arsenal striker Theo has published a four-book series: T.J. and the Hat-Trick, T.J. and the Penalty, T.J. and the Winning Goal and T.J. and the Cup Run. Find out more: www.randomhousechildrens.co.uk/index.php?s=theo+walcott

Mark Schwarzer Australia and Chelsea goalkeeper Mark co-authors the Megs Morrison series, which begins with Megs and the Vootball Kids and has a further four books to keep children’s interest going. Find out more: www.megsmorrison.com/index.php