What are the best books that show girls playing football? In all the excitement about the World Cup it seems to be forgotten that there are lots of girls especially in primary school who are very keen on football and who like reading about girls playing.
As you rightly say, there are lots of girls of all ages playing football. And, although the World Cup is seemingly devoid of any women, it is does make the headlines sometimes such as last week when Arsenal Ladies beat Everton Ladies in the FA Women's Cup at Wembley. (Shame they have to be called "Ladies" though.)
In fiction, girls fare better and all the stories in which they feature show girls triumphing – but in terms of numbers of times they get into a story there is still a huge imbalance.
Although too old for your daughter now, the most famous of all books about girls playing football is Narinder Dhami's Bend it Like Beckham which, with its engaging storyline about girls defying their friends, families and prevailing stereotypes, stands out in the original novel as well as in the more widely known film version. Following its success, Narinder Dhami has written The Beautiful Game series, all stories about girls playing football for younger readers. Told in the first person about a group of girls who are passionate about playing football, Hannah introduces herself as a future captain of England in Hannah's Secret, the first title in the series. Golden Girl Grace and George's War are just two of the subsequent titles which capture the fun and competition these girls are having and the deep sense of friendship it gives them.
In Rob Child's Great Save!, a football competition is set up to help raise money to save a small primary school. The team is mixed, with Hannah playing in goal. Unusually, it is Hannah on the cover which is not so common and will make this book especially appealing to girls. There are great illustrations throughout by Michael Reid.
Helena Pielichaty and Sonia Leong's hilarious Girls FC 1: Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras? tells of the lengths that nine-year-old Megan goes to get in the school football team. Her idea that wearing a tiara will get her noticed is quickly shown to be hopeless. Thwarted, Megan refuses to give up and instead decides to set up an all-girls team. Other titles in the series including Are All Brothers Foul? and Is an Own Goal Bad? sustain the jokes and the love of football brilliantly.
There's prejudice against girls playing football to be overcome for Leah too in Paul Mullins' Leah and the Football Dragons. Here the Dragons are the Deadtail Dragons, an all-boys' football team who can't stop losing. There is only one player who can help them. And yes, she is a girl. Can Leah achieve her dreams and show the boys what winning feels like? You bet she can!
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