Alfie Jones and a Change of Fortune: 1 (The Alfie Jones Series) - Tapa blanda

It s not often that children s football books are reviewed here, but Alfie Jones and a Change of Fortune is a worthy exception. This book, aimed at young children aged about 7-10, is the first in a planned series focusing on football-mad Alfie and his friends. The story, by FA-qualified football coach David Fuller, who coaches a youth team in Brighton, manages to tap into not only the enduring popularity of football but also of Harry Potter-style fantasy, which is still very much in vogue. Young Alfie is desperate to win a starting place in his local under-nines team, but is continually thwarted by the nasty, bullying coach, Keith, and his even less appealing son, Jasper until a chance encounter with a fortune-teller called Madam Zola changes everything. It soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary tale of jumpers for goalposts. It cracks on at a blistering pace even most adults reading the book would struggle to put it down. Fuller manages to leave a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, each of which is roughly the same length, and the structure and pace are ideal for encouraging youngsters to read more. Aside from a couple of minor grammatical niggles ( where Keith was stood ), Fuller s writing is refreshingly readable, engaging and free of clichés. He demonstrates a keen understanding of the worries and issues faced by children of Alfie s age, and his footballing experience also shines through. The references to Alfie s little sister always getting preferential treatment are subtly dealt with throughout, giving just a small insight into Alfie s family life, which many boys with younger sisters can identify with. The story also accurately reflects the diversity of society and of youth football; even though the main character is a little boy, there s no doubt the book will be of equal appeal to girls. Indeed, one of Alfie s team is a girl Chloe and this is hardly even an issue; she is treated just the same as the other boys. Without giving the game away too much, the story hinges on Alfie s encounter with Madam Zola, who tells him it is his destiny to become a professional footballer but he must stay with his local team, the Kingsway Colts, if this is to happen. However, Alfie s father, seeing his son desperately unhappy about hardly ever getting a game, had previously agreed with Alfie that he would switch to another club if the situation hadn t improved by Christmas. Therefore, Alfie has to ensure he stays with the Colts, otherwise his destiny will never be fulfilled. This isn t all about waving a wand and everything being rosy, though the point is that, despite the old witch s intervention, Alfie still has a lot of hard work to do to prove he is up to the task, and the reader is left wondering until the very end whether he will prevail. The book is also well-illustrated by Rob Smyth, who has an original style and creates memorable images of not just the intriguing Madam Zola, but also the children themselves. Alfie Jones is a great character, and one who children are sure to engage with. The series has much promise and it s worth looking out for the follow-ups. If you have a young football-mad boy or girl, and want to encourage them to read more, then you can t go wrong with introducing them to Alfie. For more information, and to read the first chapter as a taster, visit the Alfie Jones website --http://www.football-books.com/2012/04/27/alfie-jones-change-fortune-david-fuller/

Alfie Jones and a change of fortune is the first book by David Fuller and is aimed at kids aged eight to eleven, particularly football mad boys. Alfie Jones is in fact a football mad boy himself and plays every week for the Kingsway Colts with his best friends. He loves the game but recently things at the club have changed. The elderly coach was taken ill and replaced by the father of another boy, Jasper, who is also Alfie s arch riva --http://dragonsandfairydust.co.uk/2012/01/26/alfie-jones-and-a-change-of-fortune-by-david-fuller/

Alfie Jones and a change of fortune is the first book by David Fuller and is aimed at kids aged eight to eleven, particularly football mad boys. Alfie Jones is in fact a football mad boy himself and plays every week for the Kingsway Colts with his best friends. He loves the game but recently things at the club have changed. The elderly coach was taken ill and replaced by the father of another boy, Jasper, who is also Alfie s arch rival and a nasty bully. The old coach used to be fair, the new coach seems to think his son is perfect and everyone else on the team is useless. Alfie has found himself sitting on the substitutes bench for match after match and is thinking of leaving his beloved team. On a visit to a fairground something happens to make Alfie change his mind. A mysterious fortune teller appears and tells him that if he stays with the Colts he will one day realise his dreams to become a professional footballer. Alfie is not sure how this will happen if he stays on the substitutes bench but he decides to give it a go. His first objective is to actually get a game. The book is engaging and pulls you into the world of children s football. The enthusiasm and hopes of the children is wonderfully portrayed and the descriptions of the matches make you feel like you are on the sidelines cheering on. The characters are thoroughly believable, Alfie is small but plucky and determined and you are very much on his side. His best friend Billy is supportive and on his side while Jasper and his dad are just plain nasty. The fortune teller Madame Zola adds a touch of mystery and magic, along with a few wind chimes. You also get insights into how the parents can struggle to take the children to matches due to the commitments of their other children and how they realise things are not fair but do not want to mention it to the coach. Although I am not a kid or particularly football mad I found the book engrossing and wanted to know if Alfie managed to realise his dream. I loved the determination of Alfie, even though he was not getting a game he was going to practice hard and learn new skills rather than give up. This is a brilliant example for children today who often want everything handed to them on a plate. My son has picked up this book to read now and he is already enjoying it. As with many boys these days it can be difficult to get them to read a book, but this one has all the right ingredients to appeal to reluctant readers. This is the promised to be the first book in a series and I am really looking forward to find out what Alfie gets up to next! For more information: http://www.alfie-jones.co.uk/ The book is available from Amazon RRP £5.00 --http://dragonsandfairydust.co.uk/2012/01/26/alfie-jones-and-a-change-of-fortune-by-david-fuller/

Alfie Jones loves football and used to enjoy nothing more than playing for his beloved Kingsway Colts alongside his best friends. However, ever since Kingsway's elderly coach was taken ill and replaced by the father of Alfie's arch-rival, Jasper, playing for the Colts has not proved to be such an enjoyable experience. Yet, just as it seems Alfie will be left with no other choice but to leave the Colts he meets a mysterious fortune teller who has some important news for the young boy - if he stays with the Colts he will one day realise his dreams of becoming a professional footballer. But with Kingsway's new coach and his son both determined to make Alfie's life as miserable as possible, staying with the Colts proves to be easier said than done and Alfie soon finds his desire to fulfil his destiny put to the ultimate test ...