Five

by James Perkins

"Max and Trev," I turned to face Parker. "Get stuck in." I nodded and turned back towards the centre-circle, trying to get myself into the zone. This was a must-win game. I knew that we could beat Bell's team, and we would never hear the end of it if we were knocked out before we could even play them. I clenched my fists, trying to psyche myself up as the referee blew his whistle. Trevor clearly took Parker's last bit of advice too seriously, as he screamed some sort of battle-cry and launched himself at the opposition player. He totally missed the ball but such was the force of his tackle, the attacker half-back-flipped and landed dangerously on his neck. The referee blew his whistle and showed Trevor a yellow card, then checked his watch and said under his "Four seconds. Must be some sort of record!" 'Five', by James Perkins, follows five teenagers on their impossible journey to win the prestigious Powergen Fives. The five-a-side team face obstacles in their path, however; with a rogue team member, rival teams, and money problems. For ages 8-15. "Overall; it is really good - it's funny, clever, interesting..." - Hugo Monnery "Loved it #TeamNobby" - Tom Milward "Fantastic! It's about more than just football." - Alex Bloom "A must-read for any footie-mad youngsters. I bought it for my little brother and he couldn't put it down! Great for getting children into reading." - Max Foster

188 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2012