Me and Aaron Ramsey

by Manon Steffan Ros

Sam and his dad both love football, which is always there for them however tough real life becomes. That is, until Dad's dreams of football stardom go horribly wrong. Sam's love for the footballing legend becomes tangled with his relationship for his father as things go south in their family life.

160 pages, Paperback

Published April 11, 2024

Reviews

[Andrew Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not normally a fan of books for children about football, many authors can't seem to get them right in fiction because they cant replicate the drama of good match, and in biography as those books just read like player's books. This is one of the few exceptions, mainly because football is the hook but not the story. Its about a welsh boy and his dad both of whom love football and their family life, which takes a turn for the worse after a serious event. Like another one of her excellent books, The Blue Book of Nebo I read this in one sitting, its only short, 124 pages, but it's superb. This author is a great writer and I'd love to see more of her work translated into english as it needs to be read by as many people as possible.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worried I might not get on with this book, as I'm not into football, but I think it was done very well - this is a book about what sports means to someone, rather than the sport itself. I also loved that the football was a whole family and community thing, rather than just something Sam shared with his dad, and that nobody was 'aiming for stardom' or similar - they just loved the game.

The portrayal's of Huw's struggles with literacy is not something I've seen in a book for this age group before, and I really appreciated it - it's something some of my students will recognise from their own family life. I also really appreciated the resolution of the relationship between the parents.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great short novel for middle-grade football fans. Sam loves football and so when his Dad gets signed up by a local club to play semi-professionally, he is super proud. But things start to fall apart when his father has a car accident and his football career comes to an abrupt end. There is so much to like here: themes of perseverance, friendship, and overcoming adversity, Sam's relationship with his Dad, the fact that Dad can't read (but decides to learn), lovely 'real' writing, as well as a sound understanding of football. Highly recommended.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really heartfelt and lovely