Keeper

Description

New boy Shane Logan is loud and has a short temper, but on the football field he also turns out to be a talented goalie. In the first match for his new team, Shane delivers a star performance - but he's not the only one to make an impression. Hanging over him like a shadow is his dad, Mick, who yells orders and insults from the sidelines. What is Mick's problem? And why does Shane seem scared of him? There's obviously more going on than Shane wants to talk about, and maybe he's not as tough as he seems. A thought-provoking football story accompanied by fascinating facts about famous goalies and the history of goalkeeping from reluctant-reader favourite Alan Gibbons.

A former primary school teacher, Alan Gibbons has sold over 1.3 million books and won many prestigious awards including the Blue Peter Award for 'The Book I Couldn't Put Down'. Alan is a high-profile library campaigner and education consultant and is a very popular speaker at schools, libraries, colleges and conferences - he visits over 150 schools a year.

"Barrington Stoke have scored a winner ... Perfect for topping up even the most knowledgable football fan's trivia" -- Primary Teacher Bookshelf "As with all of Alan Gibbon's stories, this feels completely authentic ... real-life stories add to the sense of football as an alternative family" -- Andrea Reece, LoveReading4Kids "This story had such an authentic voice. It really celebrates the boys' love of football and how being part of a team or a group of supporters can be like having an alternate family" -- Library Girl and Book Boy "Gibbons handles the issue of domestic violence and abuse with sensitivity and without dodging the issues and shows just how important something like football can be to a child caught up in these adult situations" -- The Letterpress Project