The growth of girls football has been huge over the past ten years and with this growth has come some fantastic football books for young girls. Here are some of the best football books for girls!
Table of Contents
- 1. Ultimate Football Heroes – Williamson
- 2. Francesca the Football Fairy
- 3. The Wonder Team and The Forgotten Footballers
- 4. Jaz Santos vs The World
- 5. Lily and the Rockets
- 6. The Dog that Saved the World (Cup)
- 7. Sammy Striker and the Football Cup
- 8. Finding Her Feet
- 9. Trailblazer: Lily Parr, the Unstoppable Star of Women’s Football
- 10. Girls FC 1: Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras?
1. Ultimate Football Heroes – Williamson
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of books based on the lives of famous footballers. There are currently six books based on professional women’s players: Morgan (USA), Marta (Brazil), Smith (England), Kirby (England), Williamson (England) and Lionesses: European Champions.
Book Themes:
Suggested Age: 8+
What’s it about?: Find out all about Leah Williamson’s life and career. Starting with how she began playing football at the age of 6, found herself representing Arsenal by age 17 and then went on to now be captaining the Lionesses!
Author: Emily Stead
Publisher: Bonnier Books
2. Francesca the Football Fairy
There are over 200 titles in the Rainbow Magic series of books and this one has to make it into our top 10 list because of being unique in that it mixes the world of football with that of fairies and magic. The content of the book makes it appropriate for 5+ with much older children also very much enjoying this series. If your child loves football and fairies, then you’ve just found them the perfect literary gift!
Book Themes: fairies, goblins, magic, friendship, football
Suggested Age: 5+
What’s it about?: Kirsty and Rachel are helping Francesca The Football Fairy get her magic football back from the goblins.
Author: Daisy Meadows
Publisher: Orchard Books
3. The Wonder Team and The Forgotten Footballers
Leah Williamson is one of the best female footballers of her generation and has had huge success on the pitch. She now brings that success to the world of children’s books to inspire children with stories and not just her footballing skills.
Book Themes: football, empathy, encouraging female footballers, adventure, teamwork, determination, mystery, time travel, self-belief, history, unkindness (verbal)
Suggested Age: 9+
What’s it about?: Leah and her friends travel back in time a hundred years and discover that women’s football has been banned. They work together to make sure that the cup final goes ahead.
Author: Leah Williamson and Jordan Glover
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
4. Jaz Santos vs The World
Book Themes: supporting each other, football, teamwork, friendship, self-belief, self-confidence, sexism, never giving up on your dreams, sport, relationships, humour, mother moving out, single parent, diversity, BAME
Suggested Age: 9+
What’s it about?: Jaz is desperately seeking a reason for her mother to move back in with the family. She thinks that if she can win the football tournament that she will come back. First she has to get together a team of girls. #The Dream Team series
Author: Priscilla Mante
Publisher: Puffin
5. Lily and the Rockets
Book Themes: aspirations, heroine, achieving dreams, history, friendship, politics, WW1, sport, ammunition, women, misunderstanding, self-realisation, inequality
Suggested Age: 8+
What’s it about?: The story is set in 1917 and Britain is at war, which means that Lily finds herself working in a munitions factory. Football provides a much welcome relief from war and work and soon Lily and her friends create a football team called the Rockets. When war ends however, Lily and her friends lose not only football but their jobs also. Lily is determined not to give up though and sets out to show the men what she can do…
Author: Rebecca Stevens
Publisher: Chicken House
6. The Dog that Saved the World (Cup)
Book Themes: single parent (dad), football, World Cup, money problems (dad loses his job, lack of food, no internet etc), moving house (moving to a new area that you are scared of), graffiti (briefly references bad words being sprayed on the wall), family (sticking together), love, caring for one another
Suggested Age: 9+
What’s it about?: Pickles and his owner Elsie are both football mad. They talk, eat, sleep and dream football! When their dream comes true that Elsie and her teammates will get to play on the pitch during half-time of the World Cup final, it feels like they’re on top of the world! Life away from football isn’t so great. Already struggling for money, Elsie’s dad then loses his job and they’re forced to move. To make matters even worse, Elsie’s dream of playing football during the World Cup final is at serious risk and so Pickles takes matters into his own paws and sets out to save the world (cup)!
Author: Phil Earle
Publisher: HarperCollins
7. Sammy Striker and the Football Cup
Book Themes: football (love of football and being signed at the age of 8), anxiety (doubting your ability), coach (positive influence), winning, team, being different (learning that this is okay)
Suggested Age: 4+
What’s it about?: Sammy is football mad and is never found without a football. One day, she is spotted by the coach of the Under 8s National Team and her dreams all start to come true! That is until her shots start to go a bit wonky… Can she use what makes her different to her advantage and not just give up on her dreams?
Author: Catherine Emmett
Illustrator: Joe Berger
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
8. Finding Her Feet
Book Themes: football, social media (attempted bullying in phone messaging group but the other girls stick up for her), bullying (dealt with by the football coach), perseverance, anxiety (difficulty making friends at a new school), friendship difficulties (resolved), trying something new, bravery
Suggested Age: 9+
What’s it about?: Lily finds school difficult and wishes that she had a friend to turn to, but her old best friend is avoiding her and Lily is starting to struggle to control her anxiety. When the chance to join the football team presents itself, she at first hesitates but then takes the brave step to see where it might lead her.
Author: Eve Ainsworth
Illustrator: Luna Valentine
Publisher: HarperCollins
9. Trailblazer: Lily Parr, the Unstoppable Star of Women’s Football
Book Themes: football, women’s football, history, sport, perseverance, world war one
Suggested Age: 6+
What’s it about?: Join Lily Parr as she sets out on a journey that will take her from playing football on the streets to playing in front of thousands of fans! Based on a true story.
Author: Elizabeth Dale
Illustrator: Carolina Coroa
Publisher: Maverick Arts Publishing
10. Girls FC 1: Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras?
Book Themes: football, women’s football, sport, perseverance (setting up her own football team), rejection (not accepted into the school football team), friendship
Suggested Age: 9+
What’s it about?: When Megan fails to get the attention of the school football coach, even when she wears a tiara, she refuses to accept no for an answer and instead sets up her own girls’ football team! Now she just needs to find ten other players, a coach and a place to play… Sounds easy, right?
Author: Helena Pielichaty
Publisher: Walker Books