The Unlucky Eleven
By (Author) Phil Earle
Illustrated by Steve May
HarperCollins Publishers
Barrington Stoke Ltd
3rd June 2019
2nd May 2019
United Kingdom
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Sporting stories
Childrens / Teenage fiction: General, modern and contemporary fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Sports teams and clubs
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Ball games and sports: Association footbal
823.92
Long-listed for Our Best Book Award (Leicester Libraries) 2019
Paperback
104
Width 126mm, Height 168mm, Spine 10mm
140g
When luck deserts the previously successful Saints, Stanley's team-mates become convinced that they are under the control of a terrible curse. Their ridiculous attempts to beat the curse lead to injury, embarrassment and further humiliation, until by the last game of the season they're ready to give it all up. Step forward Stanley, to take the most important free-kick of his life ...A hilarious footy adventure from an author-illustrator dream-team.
"Perfectly pitched (no pun intended)" -- The Letterpress Project
"A great fun read for football fans young and old" -- The Book Activist, Blog
"Laughs, friendship and a spot of superstition in a big-hearted football tale from the consistently brilliant Phil Earle" -- The Bookseller
"The action flows, both on the pitch and in the dressing room, and the story feels as real and authentic as a pair of muddy football boots. Steve Mays illustrations are bang on and in Barrington Stoke style, this is accessible even to reluctant or dyslexic readers. A winner!" -- LoveReading4Kids
Phil Earle was born and raised in Hull. His first job was as a care worker in a children's home. Phil then chose the more sedate lifestyle of a bookseller, and now works in children's publishing - when he's not writing his own children's books, which have received critical acclaim and been nominated for numerous awards, including a longlisting for the Carnegie Medal.