The Naomi the Netball Fairy

The Sporty Fairies #4

by Daisy Meadows

Everyone in Fairyland is preparing for the Fairy Olympics, but Jack Frost and his goblins have stolen the magic sporty items so they can win by cheating! So where is Naomi's Magic Netball?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fairies, Chapter Books, Sports, Fiction, Magic

80 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

Daisy Meadows is the pseudonym used for the four writers of the Rainbow Magic children's series: Narinder Dhami, Sue Bentley, Linda Chapman, and Sue Mongredien. Rainbow Magic features differing groups of fairies as main characters, including the Jewel fairies, Weather fairies, Pet fairies, Petal fairies, and Sporty fairies.

Narinder Dhami was born in Wolverhampton, England on November 15, 1958. She received a degree in English from Birmingham University in 1980. After having taught in primary and secondary schools for several years she began to write full-time. Dhami has published many retellings of popular Disney stories and wrote the Animal Stars and Babes series, the latter about young British girls of Asian origin. She lives in Cambridge, England with her husband and cats.

Sue Bentley was born in Northampton, England. She worked in a library after completing her education and began writing for children once her own began school. Bentley is the author of the Magic Kitten, Magic Puppy, and S Club series and lives in Northamptonshire.

Linda Chapman has written over 50 children's fiction books, including the following series: My Secret Unicorn, Stardust, Not Quite a Mermaid, and Unicorn School. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband and daughters.

Sue Mongredien was born in 1970 and grew up in Nottingham, England. She has published over 100 children's books, including the following series: The Adventures of Captain Pugwash, The Magic Key, Frightful Families, and Oliver Moon. She has also contributed many titles to the Sleepover Club series and written picture books. Mongredien created the Royal Ballet School Diaries under the pen name Alexandra Moss. She lives with her family in Bath, England.

Reviews

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love these books so much so im just listening to one every night theyre so fun

[Cecelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel and Kristy are at the Rec Center. They see Rachel's friend Abby. She is looking for two people to join the basketball team because each team needs to have seven players. Rachel and Kristy join the team. They play against the Mean Green Team. Rachel and Kristy think the Mean Green Team is a group of goblins. The goblins don't even let the other team touch the ball for the whole game. The basketball is the magic basketball that belongs to Brittany the Basketball Fairy. The magic basketball's magic is rubbing off on the goblins, so they're very good at basketball. When the game is over, Rachel rests underneath one of the hoops. On the rim of the hoop she sees Brittany the Basketball Fairy. Rachel has a plan for Brittany to make a magical looking basketball that's not really magic, and a propeller inside the basketball hoop so the goblins will think it's magic, since the propeller will make the ball go down. Rachel and Kristy trade the basketball with the goblins after Rachel Kristy show them that it really is magic.

[Flooodle]

Reread for nostalgia. No rating because obviously to me currently the plot line and characters is not very good, however that is because I am not at all the target audience for this kind of book and it would be different to that of what I would have rated it when I first read it.

[Diya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one! Brittany’s design is super cute - the space buns, the purple and turquoise motif - all really great stuff! My one slight complaint would be that I would’ve preferred an actual basketball jersey and shorts uniform, as cute as her outfit is. And Brittany has been one of the more dynamic fairies that I’ve gotten to read about - her anger towards the goblins, the way she coached Kirsty when she was trying to make a basket - it was cool to see because although it’s not rare for the fairies to be scared of the goblins all the time or to only rely on the girls, but every time I do get to see them hold their own it’s amazing!

One other thing that I really loved was how complex Kirsty’s plan was in comparison to previous plans that they’ve had, which can feel a little repetitive. They’re still tricking the goblins into giving up Brittany’s basketball by enticing them with a new fake one, but there are steps being taken to sell the fake basketball as actually being magical; like Kirsty having Brittany make the goblins’ hoop repel all the shots they take and Rachel using her basketball skills since the fake one obviously isn’t magical but we established previously that Rachel is really gifted when it comes to shooting. And on top of that, Brittany’s spell on the hoop has a short time limit which raises the stakes for the girls and also further illustrates how powerful the basketball’s magic is.

Also, this: “Me?” Kirsty gulped. She’d never made a basket in her life! Like, girl SAME. This line was in there for me specifically. And also, sometimes it’s nice to have the girls learn new skills or to not have them automatically be good at something the book is about even if it’s an activity they’re interested in. Overall, I think this book had a really good message and a pretty strong plot too!

[The Dragon Den Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy Meadows and her fairies are my childhood. I collected so many in my youth, knowing all the fairies and their importance, and sticking with the two special girls who go to be a part of the magic.
Years ago I had to give my beautiful collection away, now still part of my childhood school where little girls are picking their favourite fairies and playing pretend. It's fun to hear stories from my old teachers telling me how over the years so many students have grabbed these books and fallen in love with the tales of two girls, Jack Frost and the fabulous glittering magic that is the fairies.
On Christmas last year, my sister surprised me with a boxset of these books, but cause you cannot collect these darlings as easily anymore. I was over the moon!
If anyone has a little one who needs a little magic in their life, wants to read and needs a big creation to be hooked on...it is Daisy Meadows!

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sporty Fairies (U.S name: Sports Fairies) are the 9th series. The Sporty Fairies are responsible for making sure that everyone in fairy land and the human world have fun playing sports. They each have a magic item (related to their sport) and when the goblins steal them this makes sports more difficult for everyone. Not good when the Fairyland Olympics are due to start and kids everywhere are on school holidays.

There are seven Sporty fairies and they are: Helena the Horseriding Fairy, Francesca the Football Fairy, Zoe the Skating Fairy, Naomi the Netball Fairy, Samantha the Swimming Fairy, Alice the Tennis Fairy and Gemma the Gymnastics Fairy.

Action takes place around Tippington Town with Kirsty staying with Rachel.

[Raine Villanueva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rachel and Kirsty are trying to play Netball/Basketball at the Recreation Center. Rachel's friend Abby needs two more players to play in her team to play against the Mean Green Team - which are actually Goblins whose one of them has a magic netball/basketball. Good thing Naomi/Brittany the Netball/Basketball Fairy came in to get the magic ball so they can play properly.

The copy I have is the US Scholastic version of Brittany the Basketball Fairy. During the time I was reading this book, I don't know what Netball is - and according to the research, it's very similar to Basketball, which is played by women in some countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

(Read during RGYSP Week 2020 Reading Marathon)

[Nethra Saravanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Goblins from Goblin Grotto have stolen Naomi's magical netball !!! :( Now Kirsty and Rachel have to get the magical netball to Naomi so that the Netball game is played fairly in the Fairyland Olympics and in the human world too.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've known a number of Naomi's in my life and I don't think any of them played netball.
But this tells anyone who knows nothing about the series something - it clearly can't be American. after all they would probably not even know what netball was.

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, fast paced novella that’s great for younger readers.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

[~tea~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fuckin foreshadowing

[k sauce]

I don't even think I knew what netball was in 2008

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! But not a slam dunk lol

[ABYesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two girls 👧 help fairies 🧚 from goblins 👹 and their King👑. The king takes magical items ✨ from fairies 🧚.

[Leona Jasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, simple story

[Tim Roast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 7-year-old daughter who loved it. Anyone who has read any of the rainbow fairy books before will know why. They are designed perfectly for her age group. Each story features best friends Kirsty and Rachel having to help a fairy friend from Fairyland in their perpetual battle with Jack Frost and the goblins. This one is no different.

This story is about one of the sporty fairies, Naomi the netball fairy (or Brittany the basketball fairy in some markets), and, just like the other sporty fairies, she can't find her missing magic sporty object. This means that until her object, in this case a magic netball, can be found and re-united with her, netball in the human and fairy world will not be fun and exciting or played fairly anymore.

Naturally it is Jack Frost who stole the netball to use the magic so that his goblins could win in the Fairyland Olympics so he has asked them to hide the netball in the human world. It falls upon Kirsty and Rachel to help Naomi get it back.

Also along the way there are a multitude of clear and simple pictures to bring the text alive, and the story is written in big text too ideal for early readers.

As for my daughter she loved the story but also the opening poem. The only criticism I have of it is that if you read a lot of these rainbow fairy books the plots are rather similar with the girls having to recover a lost item for a fairy from Jack Frost and the goblins in each book, but my daughter doesn't mind.

Overall a typical rainbow fairy story that little girls will love.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book of seven in the Sports Fairies series by the group of authors who go by the name Daisy Meadows. It's a fun series, especially for young girls who are starting to read chapter books. Our oldest is addicted and will often read several in one day! This series has a sports theme and I like that it encourages girls to be active and try new sports.

I have read so many of these books that I must admit I've become immune to their silliness. I love that I can read them after she does and discuss the plots and her thoughts about the story and about what will happen next in the series. We will certainly read more of these books as long as they are still being written. I will always be thankful that this is one series that helped her to develop a love for reading.

May 2012 update: our youngest is now immersing herself in this series and is reading them very quickly, too. As inane as I thought they were, I love that this series is making readers of our girls. Hooray!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the worst thing I've ever read. Part of a highly formulaic series about two girls, their fairy friends who constantly lose important magic objects, and the hapless and incompetent goblins who inevitably fail in their ill-intentioned plans.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute books but so predictable, especially after you’ve read two! By the third, my daughter sighed and put the book down saying “I can guess exactly what’s going to happen... I think I’m bored of these books.”

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about fairies,Jackfrost and his gobblens,and 2 girls. Jack frost is mean to the faries and girls. The girls names are Kirsty and Racheal. They help the fareis. I beleave in faries.

[N T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I play basketball so i loved it:)

[Makayla Partin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really like basketball, but that was a pretty good book

[Eva Gemeinhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

brittany is a fairy who has a magic ball that makes all basketball games fair!goblins steal the ball!i love it!

[Alexis Allinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying the sereies with the 6 year old. I have met the goblins but not their leader Jack Frost yet.

[Anya Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it when Rachel and Kirsty tricked the goblins by trading the basketball which didnt even work for the magic basketball.

[Cmfzebra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked when Brittany changed the old basketball with the new one.

[Tiffany Fung · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this book is very intresting because the goblins pretended to be the players for to steal naomi's magical netball but they can't.

[Catalina Deferrari]

it was coll.