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Charlie Merrick #1
Charlie Merrick's Misfits in Fouls, Friends, and Football
'I play for North Star Galaxy and this is the story of our first season. I don't know how it's going to end - but I hope it will be at the World Cup Finals this summer! I'm going to tell you everything that happens - the truth - however painful that might be.'
Charlie loves football. He watches it, memorizes facts about it, and he's even the captain of the local youth team, North Star Galaxy.
When Charlie discovers that youth teams are being selected to play in exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament later that year he decides to enter North Star. There's one problem. He's got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that's not easy when your team are kind of rubbish at football!
This book takes the form of Charlie's competition entry for his team to play a warm-up match at the World Cup - it's crammed with hilarious doodles, true facts, and match reports, and is totally accessible for boys, girls, reluctant readers, and footie-mad kids everywhere!
Charlie loves football. He watches it, memorizes facts about it, and he's even the captain of the local youth team, North Star Galaxy.
When Charlie discovers that youth teams are being selected to play in exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament later that year he decides to enter North Star. There's one problem. He's got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that's not easy when your team are kind of rubbish at football!
This book takes the form of Charlie's competition entry for his team to play a warm-up match at the World Cup - it's crammed with hilarious doodles, true facts, and match reports, and is totally accessible for boys, girls, reluctant readers, and footie-mad kids everywhere!
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Dave Cousins
29 books43 followersDave Cousins’ books have been hailed as "teen realism with action, humour and heart". He is also the author/illustrator of the "Charlie Merrick's Misfits" series, and the "Robot Babysitter" stories for younger readers.
Abandoning childhood plans to be an astronaut or Batman, Dave went to art college in Bradford, joined a band and was nearly famous. His writing career began aged ten, drawing comics and penning lyrics for an imaginary pop group. Dave says that reading and writing stories helped him navigate the bumpy roads of teenage life and hopes that his own books will play a similar role for today’s readers.
Published in over twelve languages, "15 Days without a Head" was a Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week, a Junior Library Guild Selection in the US, and has won awards in both the UK and Europe. "Waiting for Gonzo" won the Grampian Children's Book Award, and was shortlisted for the prestigious German Children’s Literature Prize in 2017. Gonzo also has its own original soundtrack album and music videos. Both books were nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
When not scribbling stories, Dave tours extensively giving talks and running workshops in schools and at literary events across the UK and abroad. The events have been described as “stand-up with books”, or as one student put it: “well funny!” A mix of anecdotes, pictures, readings and leaping about, the underlying message being that we all have a story to tell! Audiences learn some of the true tales that inspired the books, as well as tips on writing and drawing their own stories.
Dave lives on a rock by the sea in Wales, with his wife and a grumpy cat.
Abandoning childhood plans to be an astronaut or Batman, Dave went to art college in Bradford, joined a band and was nearly famous. His writing career began aged ten, drawing comics and penning lyrics for an imaginary pop group. Dave says that reading and writing stories helped him navigate the bumpy roads of teenage life and hopes that his own books will play a similar role for today’s readers.
Published in over twelve languages, "15 Days without a Head" was a Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week, a Junior Library Guild Selection in the US, and has won awards in both the UK and Europe. "Waiting for Gonzo" won the Grampian Children's Book Award, and was shortlisted for the prestigious German Children’s Literature Prize in 2017. Gonzo also has its own original soundtrack album and music videos. Both books were nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
When not scribbling stories, Dave tours extensively giving talks and running workshops in schools and at literary events across the UK and abroad. The events have been described as “stand-up with books”, or as one student put it: “well funny!” A mix of anecdotes, pictures, readings and leaping about, the underlying message being that we all have a story to tell! Audiences learn some of the true tales that inspired the books, as well as tips on writing and drawing their own stories.
Dave lives on a rock by the sea in Wales, with his wife and a grumpy cat.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 15, 2014
If I want to ensure that my son will pick up a book to read, give him a book which contains football! Therefore this book is perfect for him.
Charlie Merrick is the team captain of North Star Galaxy and all he ever thinks about is Football. However, he has a problem, all his good team players have left. He also has another problem: he is better in his head at playing football than his feet can actually manage. However, he is determined to get his team selected to play in the exhibition matches at the tournament. To do this, he must find new, good, players and fast.
My son is a big fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates - he loves the style of those books, a great story which is told around cartoon style inserts and interesting random page layouts which break up the story. This book is all of that but also contains match reports and great facts that any football fan will digest with interest.
The story is about football, but also is about friendship, teamwork and perseverance - important skills to learn when part of a football team. It is perfect for readers age 9+ years, but would also be great for younger readers to read with their peers.
It also has a bonus added extra - a full colour wall chart for The World Cup 2014 making it an ideal gift to give this summer.
Perfect for any budding football players or footie fans
Charlie Merrick is the team captain of North Star Galaxy and all he ever thinks about is Football. However, he has a problem, all his good team players have left. He also has another problem: he is better in his head at playing football than his feet can actually manage. However, he is determined to get his team selected to play in the exhibition matches at the tournament. To do this, he must find new, good, players and fast.
My son is a big fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates - he loves the style of those books, a great story which is told around cartoon style inserts and interesting random page layouts which break up the story. This book is all of that but also contains match reports and great facts that any football fan will digest with interest.
The story is about football, but also is about friendship, teamwork and perseverance - important skills to learn when part of a football team. It is perfect for readers age 9+ years, but would also be great for younger readers to read with their peers.
It also has a bonus added extra - a full colour wall chart for The World Cup 2014 making it an ideal gift to give this summer.
Perfect for any budding football players or footie fans
January 3, 2018
Great book because it involves friends,sadness football and they were the worst football team and they worked for it and got second place againced there opotion
March 15, 2024
Kniha mě strašně moc bavila, Jednou jsem se málem rozbrečela ale jinak byla vážně skvělá. Ten příběh miluju doufám že bude další díl.💕🫶🏻
June 1, 2014
"FOOTBALL - it's all I ever think about" begins Charlie Merrick at the beginning of this book. And if that is you too then this is the book for you.
Charlie Merrick is captain of North Star Galaxy under-12s. Trouble is most of the team from the previous season has left to form a new team, and all the players left are "misfits". Charlie himself says his "feet are not quite as good at football as his brain" for example.
Charlie sees a competition - "Would your team like to take part in a pre-match tournament at this summer's world cup finals?" and enters North Star, which involves writing a diary about his team's season (essentially this book), complete with pictures throughout as he is also a budding cartoonist. This means things like player cards and statman facts based on real-life football facts appear along the way, plus bits of comic strip, which helps break up the text for young readers and leads to the comparisons between this book and the Tom Gates books for example. The text itself is in a child friendly font too.
Anyway the first match report sees an 11-0 loss, but as the manager says, "Remember lads, football's not just about winning" which is just as well for the misfits. Other clever things in the book include splitting it into two halves, just like a football match, and little details like that that will appeal to football fans.
Ultimately the story is about friendship and teamwork and has an excellent crescendo with funny moments along the way. It would suit children who love football but as a 33-year-old football fan I too found it unputdownable and finished it within the day.
Charlie Merrick is captain of North Star Galaxy under-12s. Trouble is most of the team from the previous season has left to form a new team, and all the players left are "misfits". Charlie himself says his "feet are not quite as good at football as his brain" for example.
Charlie sees a competition - "Would your team like to take part in a pre-match tournament at this summer's world cup finals?" and enters North Star, which involves writing a diary about his team's season (essentially this book), complete with pictures throughout as he is also a budding cartoonist. This means things like player cards and statman facts based on real-life football facts appear along the way, plus bits of comic strip, which helps break up the text for young readers and leads to the comparisons between this book and the Tom Gates books for example. The text itself is in a child friendly font too.
Anyway the first match report sees an 11-0 loss, but as the manager says, "Remember lads, football's not just about winning" which is just as well for the misfits. Other clever things in the book include splitting it into two halves, just like a football match, and little details like that that will appeal to football fans.
Ultimately the story is about friendship and teamwork and has an excellent crescendo with funny moments along the way. It would suit children who love football but as a 33-year-old football fan I too found it unputdownable and finished it within the day.
September 22, 2014
NL titel: Hugo Mulders Missers in vrienden, voetbal & mijn WK.
Een boek over voetbal, dat kan niet missen.
Het is vooral voor jongens een leuk boek met losers, helden en voetbalfeitjes. Het is voor goede lezers vanaf acht jaar, maar het is zeker een aanrader voor jongens in groep 7 of 8 die niet van lezen houden.
Een boek over voetbal, dat kan niet missen.
Het is vooral voor jongens een leuk boek met losers, helden en voetbalfeitjes. Het is voor goede lezers vanaf acht jaar, maar het is zeker een aanrader voor jongens in groep 7 of 8 die niet van lezen houden.
June 16, 2015
I enjoyed reading about Charlie Merrick's team of misfits and I loved observing how they grew into a team. It is not just about winning, team building and friendships are equally important when children play ball(or any other sport really).
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews