Johnny Ball, Accidental Football Genius by Matt Oldfield

Johnny is desperate to show his family that he's just as good at football as they are. Sadly - he just isn't. He can't kick, pass, or head the ball as well as they can. But he is great at one part of the game...

Matt Oldfield is famous for his series of biographies of famous players. Now he's put all that knowledge into writing this hilarious children's book, the first in a series. Johnny is a brilliant character, smart, quick witted and determined. Children will love to see that there's more than one way to be involved in your favourite hobby, and even if you're not great at every aspect of it, you'll be good at some of it.

My proof copy didn't have all the illustrations, but there's enough here for me to know that they're going to be very funny when they're published in full. This is the start of a brilliant new series and I can't wait for it to publish.

From the author of Ultimate Football Heroes comes the first book in the new Johnny Ball series, perfect reading for football-mad kids Johnny Ball LOVES football. He loves reading about it, talking about it, watching it - and he loves playing it too. He's a good player, but not quite good enough to make the Tissbury Primary School team for the super-huge Under-11s County Cup. But never mind, because their clueless coach, Mr Mann, has a special role for Johnny: ASSISTANT MANAGER! With only Grandpa George's old scarf, a 'pocket' notebook and his brilliant football brain, can Johnny lead the Tissbury Primary team all the way to County Cup glory?