Anyone who knows me will be surprised to see a book about football on Linda’s Book Bag, but with the Women’s World Cup just underway even I knew the Lionesses are about to kick off their tournament. Consequently, when a surprise copy of the children’s book Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson by Harry Meredith dropped through my letterbox this week, and with the English school holidays upon us, I thought I’d better see what all the fuss is about.

Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson will be published on 2nd August 2023 and is available for pre-order here.

Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson

Leah Williamson OBE was the first British woman to have lifted a major football trophy, when she led the Lionesses to victory in the Euro 2022 tournament. Having played football from a young age, Leah has represented England from the youth team onwards, and has also been part of Arsenal’s FA cup-winning team. She is an outstanding player in both domestic and international fields and she is a role model both on and off the pitch.

About the Football Rising Stars series: Football Rising Stars dives into the incredible journeys of ten of the world’s best young players. Featuring fresh talents from England, Portugal, Norway, France, Germany and Spain, the series covers their unique rise; from playing football in the park and 5-a-sides to performing in front of capacity crowds on the biggest stage and in the biggest leagues.

You’ll find all the books here.

My Review of Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson

The story of football’s Lioness Leah Williamson.

Let me say at the outset that I am at least half a century older than the target audience for this book with at best little interest in football and usually a tangible dislike of it. So the fact that I thought Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson was smashing is a real surprise to me! 

Firstly, the book is brilliantly produced for young and emerging readers with clear, well-spaced text, engaging graphics and short chapters so that it is accessible and easily read. The language and style are, forgive the pun, pitch-perfect, because more challenging words are woven into relatively simple sentence construction so that more reluctant readers gain both knowledge and vocabulary. I could see Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson being incredibly popular in the home or school settings. 

All that said, Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson isn’t just for educational use as it is a book brimming with entertainment, interest and wonderful themes. I learnt all kinds of facts reading this book, and found it surprisingly empowering and engrossing for someone my age with no interest previously in the subject matter! 

Harry Meredith doesn’t belittle his readers by avoiding challenging issues and as he tells the story of Leah Williamson’s rise to fame in female football, he considers issues such as the toll it can take on physical and mental health, the sacrifices needed to play at the top level and the impact fame can have, so that young readers have a realistic but gentle insight into areas that they might themselves have issues with.

Similarly, themes of resilience, determination and self-awareness help young readers to understand themselves and this totally engaging book gives status to girls in a male dominated environment in a way that will appeal to all young people.

I really enjoyed Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson. It educated me, it entertained me and it made me feel both proud and emotional about the journey remarkable young women like Leah Williamson have been on to pave the way for women and girls in today’s society. It also made me feel a little bit ashamed for having dismissed football as irrelevant in my life. Thanks to Football Rising Stars: Leah Williamson I know better now!

About Harry Meredith

 

What a strike! Harry Meredith writes stories for children and also works in e-commerce. He studied Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, where he majored in Children’s Literature and Non-Fiction. He also studied in the USA at Bennington College, Vermont. He’s a football fanatic, and when he’s not writing, working or heading out on adventures, you’ll find him watching football.

For further information, follow Harry on Twitter @_HarryMeredith or find him on Instagram.