UEFA European Women’s Championship

The UEFA European Women’s Championship’s are well underway and this tournament will go down in history for breaking many records.  The Lionesses have been front and centre of these achievements, securing the competition’s biggest win, a record they had set themselves by beating Scotland 6-0 to open the 2017 group stage.  Along with total goals scored, most goals in a half and most goals scored in a group stage this has truly been a historic campaign for women’s football, now more so than ever after their brilliant 2-1 win over Spain in extra time. 

The fans have played their part too.  The record crowd at Old Trafford that watched England defeat Austria surpassed the previous record by more than 27,000 spectators.  An attendance 68,871 smashed the previous record of the 41,301 fans attending the 2013 final between Germany and Norway in Solna, Sweden. The new benchmark looks set to go on 31 July, with the Wembley final already sold out.

With women’s football and women’s sport in general receiving additional coverage and interest, the National Literacy Trust have put together a reading list which showcases the best of what your library has to offer with a collection which focuses on sport and amazing stories from popular sporting figures.  Take a look and see how many you can read – maybe you can break some of your own reading records along the way.

UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 | National Literacy Trust

Jaz Santos vs. the world by Priscilla Mante
The first in a new series about a group of unlikely friends who come together to make their own girls’ football team, proving to everyone that they should be taken seriously.

Marta : from the playground to the pitch by Charlotte Browne
Marta is the best footballer in the history of the women’s game. The Brazilian has jaw-dropping flair and skill. She has scored more World Cup goals than any other player, and has won FIFA World Player of the Year six times. But pure talent alone was never enough – this book tells the story of how Marta chased her dreams with determination and a never-give-up attitude, to earn the right to be called the best player ever.

How to be extraordinary : real-life stories of extraordinary humans! by Rashmi Sirdeshpande
Could you be EXTRAORDINARY? This book will inspire you with the real-life stories of extraordinary people, showcasing a total variety of personalities and talents. Whoever you are, and whoever you want
to be, read about the extraordinary stories of these 15 people, and decide how YOU will be extraordinary too!

Our beautiful game by Lou Kuenzler
A hundred years before the Lionesses, Lily Parr, Alice Woods and their teammates were proudly playing their beloved, exciting and skilful game. As men were sent to fight in the war, women and girls took their place in munitions factories. Football became a favourite pastime and, before long, they were creating all-female sides and playing public matches to sell-out crowds, overshadowing men’s football. Despite drawing crowds of 50,000, women’s football was outlawed by the Football Association in 1921, who deemed it ‘unsuitable for females’. This is the incredible story of these amazing women.

Rocky by Tom Palmer
A struggling student and brilliant footballer, Rocky Race is many things, but to most people she’s just Roy Race’s little sister. It’s not much fun, especially as Melchester Rovers head to the League Cup Final. Rocky’s sick of everyone knowing her through Roy, she’s had enough of school, and she’s even started having panic attacks. Now it’s up to Rocky to find her own way – as a person and a player – and she’s going to need all her grit and determination to do it…

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

About the book

Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork – not the old fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when you drop them. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic.

Reviewed by Ringwood Readers

Not everyone’s cup of tea. Soem of us thought it was very funny, others thought they could not get into it. The use of language was amazing.

**+1/2  2.5 stars

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It’s Kicking off!

It’s the start of the football season and we have something for everyone this season at Hampshire Libraries.

Football Lovers…

If you want to brush up on your skills before the big game, or get yourself in the mood with a novel, here are a few suggestions for you.

The Football Tourist, Stuart Fuller

An ebook available free from our ebook service, Overdrive.

Stuart Fuller has spent the best part of the last decade watching football around the world. As the author of ‘Passport to Football’ he wrote the original guide to watching the game abroad and this is his follow up, ‘The Football Tourist’. Each chapter details a trip taken, beginning with a lost weekend at the Spakenburg derby in 2010 and ending in Dundee in late 2012. Taking in trips all over the footballing world, every story serves to both entertain and inform those who might wish to dip their toe in the football tourism pool. In a world where a trip to a Premier League game might cost a family the best part of £500, the Football Tourist urges you to try something new…

Football School, Jenny Cox

Something for the younger fans. Meet Josh, he’s off to Football School to train with a mix of young soccer stars. Although a great striker, Josh needs to overcome his nerves when it counts in his first match against the team’s biggest rivals. Football School is part of the DK Reads series, a three-level reading scheme of children’s short stories that help kids become confident readers, featuring engaging and illustrated topics. Interactive aspects such as football tips, team positions and referee advice which provide an element of fun while supporting the story and national curriculum.

Football record breakers, Clive Gifford

For those of you looking for a bit of inspiration. From the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championships to the record-breakers of Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Premier League, football’s record-breaking stars are here. This book is packed with thousands of eye-popping stats about incredible trophy-winning teams and legendary goalscorers from around the globe, and contains all the need-to-know facts and figures from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Library Press Display

If you want to keep up to date with football news from around the world, visit Library Press Display, another free service where you can access 4000 newspapers, from 100 countries, in 60 different languages!

Football Loathers…

If you need an escape, we’re here for you too! Here are some suggestions to help get you through.

E-Magazines

Our free e-magazine service, Zinio, holds hundreds of popular, and more obscure magazine titles for you to browse at your leisure. Whether you’re looking for TV guides (so you can switch off the football!), knitting patterns, or classic bike guides, we have it all.

Help! I want to get fit, Katie Bircher

An ebook available free from our ebook service, Overdrive.

If all this football talk has got you in the mood for exercise, here’s something to get you started. Most people would like to be fitter, but where do you start? This book aims to provoke, prompt and persuade you to get fit! It provides information on losing weight, getting into shape and enjoying a healthy lifestyle with advice on exercise techniques, video reviews and diet discussions. Guidelines are given for choosing a gym and cheap ways to get fit as well as social exercises from line dancing to aerobics.

Audiobook Collection

If the mere sound of the crowd cheering is getting on your nerves, block it all out with an audiobook from our online selection with Overdrive. There are loads of popular titles to choose from, like recent blockbuster American Sniper, to classic The Hobbit. One click of the mouse, and you can listen to your favourite books, and you don’t even have to get out of bed, heaven!

Take a trip to your local library

If you need to get out of the house and away from the TV, you can always come down to your local library. We have loads of events, and there’s something for everyone, from crafts to computer lessons. If you’re looking for a new book, you can reserve it online before you go down, and check out our catalogue online to see our new titles.