This is such a brilliant story! Lewis loves to practice his football skills on a small patch of grass on the estate where he lives. But he hides the fact he practices from his mum who would be upset if she ever found out that he loves to play. Football is everything to Lewis and one day he is give a very special opportunity. He really wants to take it, but his mum can’t afford all the right kit, and even if she could, she doesn’t want Lewis to have anything to do with football after his father died.

This is a great and compelling read which made me smile when I finished it. Lewis’s mum isn’t keen on Lewis playing football, ever since his father died while on the pitch. But Lewis desperately wants to play and he doesn’t know what to do when he’s given an exciting offer to attend an academy for the summer. The story is simple but very relatable. There are so many kids out there who come from poorer backgrounds and I like how this story shows us a main character who comes from such a background. Despite their finances though, Lewis is still given an opportunity to attend, but his mum doesn’t want him to have anything to do with football after it killed his father.

The story feels so relatable and I love how Lewis’s love of football shines through the story and keeps him determined to play despite what his mum says. I love what happens when Ash appears and sees Lewis playing and what happens later when Lewis gets the chance to play football with some other boys. Lewis struggles a little with being the poor kid without a proper kit, but I do love how his skills in football are recognised despite this and how some of the other boys treat him when they see him. The story has some themes of friendship, poverty and bullying but I like how things resolve and turn out for Lewis and his mum in the end.

There are some lovely illustrations throughout the book, some on a whole page or half a page. I love how simple but fun these illustrations look, with the character’s faces and expressions seen easily, and I love what Lewis’s dog Trevor looks like too! The illustrations really help make the book easier to read and I love how easy this book is to read in general thanks to the way it has been made. The book itself is less than 90 pages which makes it easy to read for reluctant readers who struggle with bigger books, it also has a special font used for the text, making it easier for dyslexics to read and also spaced paragraphs. The whole book is printed on thick yellowish pages too which makes it easier to read. The illustrations are all in black, white and grey.

Overall this is such a lovely book and with an ending I just loved! The last pages are so heart-warming and I love what happens with Lewis and his mum. It’s the perfect ending and one which can also encourage kids reading it to not give up on their dreams and believe in themselves. It’s such a brilliant story, and although I’ve never been into football myself, I know I’ll love reading this book again, and again!

I realised that I read and reviewed Eve Ainsworth’s debut adult novel Duckling last month and the book gods appear to have blessed me with another slice of her work! I don’t read enough middle-grade contemporary stories but every time I do, I finish it with a heart full of hope. That’s exactly what I got from this short story that I flew through within an hour.

Lewis loves football more than anything but his mum is reluctant to let him play. She says it’s because it’s too expensive but Lewis knows that it’s really because of what happened to his dad on the football pitch. But when a coach sees Lewis playing on the street and offers him some free sessions, Lewis becomes even more determined to persuade his mum to let him go after his dream.

There are some really charming illustrations from the ever-talented Kirsti Beautyman and they help bring the story to life. I knew exactly who Lewis and all of the other characters were and I know these images will help shape them in the minds of young readers too.

While I don’t know much about football or growing up as a working class boy, I do know that both of these things are riddled with toxic masculinity. Although Lewis is only a child, he is exposed to this and without a father to put him right, I could sense he was in danger of taking their cruel comments to heart. However, Lewis has so much resolve and focus on the game that he isn’t prepared to let other people’s comments stop him from succeeding.

Of course, there is a shadow over the whole story. Lewis’ dad was a tragic victim of heart failure during a football game and Lewis’ mum is terrified of the same thing happening to her son. I loved how Lewis used the pain from his family’s past to drive his own success. Although he understood his mum’s concerns, it didn’t really stop him from pursuing his football dream. He knew what his dad would have wanted him to do and channelled that into his game. I found him so inspiring and was literally cheering for Lewis at the end!

All To Play For is a short, sweet story with a lot of emotion and even some character growth too. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I’m sure I would have loved it even more if I was a young kid who wanted to play football but was up against various obstacles. Hopeful, inspiring and satisfying, All To Play For is an excellent read for a young, book-shy, sport lover.

Given that football is one of the most popular and played sports across the globe, there are a distinct lack of quality fiction reads for young children. Once again, Barrington Stoke step-up to fill that void with Eve Ainsworth’s All to Play For, a stirring and emotive read about following your dreams when the odds are stacked against you.

Lewis loves being in his happy place - a strip of grass between the bins and the carpark on the estate where he lives. Honing his skills in the shadow of the tower blocks, he imagines being somebody else and scoring a goal at Wembley. He is delighted when his talent is spotted by Ash, the head of Ace Academy, but there’s a problem, well two in fact. Mum doesn’t have enough money to buy the kit he needs and even if she did there’s no way she would let him play, she has been anti-football ever since the beautiful game tragically took the life of her beautiful husband. This could be Lewis’ chance to fulfil his dreams but to do so he may have to break mum’s heart…

Against the backdrop of family tragedy and rooted in real-life and relatable experiences, Ainsworth finds the back of the net with a powerful story of footballing dreams that tackles the hard-hitting issues of poverty, social inequalities and grief. Like many boys, Lewis wants to be a footballer. And that comes at a price, both financially and emotionally.

Lots of parents can struggle with the costs of funding the hobbies that their children pursue. Whilst football may claim to be the ‘working man’s’ game the cost of kits, boots, summer camps, football clubs and academy fees can certainly place strain on parents as they try to support their children in achieving their dreams.

Lewis’ mum works hard for the little money that they have and there isn’t enough to be spent on football. Lewis is the kid with the tatty boots, the hand-me-down ball and wears the plain white t-shirt whilst the other kids proudly show off the colours of their favourite team. What Lewis does have though is great mates who not only share his passion for football but do everything they can to help him out and an understanding coach and positive male role model that knows talent when he sees it. For all of his footballing dreams, Lewis is an incredibly thoughtful boy; he hides the truth about his secret kick-abouts from his mum for fear of bringing more heartache into the family home.

With the action on the pitch as tense and as nail-biting as the action off it, football mad kids are going to love this story. It has all the thrills and spills of a top-of-the-table Premier League clash and readers will be with Lewis every kick, tackle and goal-scoring step of the way as he edges closer to the impossible dream, willing him to achieve and hoping that his mum can become his biggest supporter.

Ainsworth’s brilliant storytelling and Kirsti Beautyman’s awesome illustrations are a match-winning combination and because this is Barrington Stoke it is printed in dyslexia friendly font and on tinted paper ensuring the book can be accessed by every child.

With huge thanks to the lovely peeps at Barrington Stoke for the copy I received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 8+.

This books brings awareness to a different kind of financial difficulty. It's not always not being able to afford food, or somewhere to live. Many people can afford those things, but that's it, there's nothing left for new clothes, outings, or the kit you need for sport. Lewis loves football, and he's good, but his Mum can't spare any money for fancy lessons, let alone boots, or a new ball.
That's not all this story is about though. Lewis' Dad died playing football, so his Mum is adamant he will never play.
What they don't count on is, Lewis getting noticed and giving him the opportunity to follow his dream. It's the kind of book that makes your heart swell with the kindness of others, and again, as is with so many books , gives us an insight into someone else's life....reminding us that we never know the whole story.

What happens when you are torn between parental expectations and following your dreams? This heartwarming novella explores a very relatable issue as well as themes of loss and grief. I loved the illustrations as it helped me to visualise what the characters looked like. Overall, it's an enjoyable and well-rounded read.

Lewis lives for football, so spends a lot of time on his own on the estate, practising his skills and accuracy with an old hand-me-down ball. The big problem, however much Lewis wants to carry on with the sport, and train at special summer academies and so on, is that his father – well, his father died for football, leaving just Lewis and his mother and nothing like the income needed to afford sports schools.

This, then, is a two-pronged narrative, looking at both Lewis desperate to get into the soccer academy, and his mother being asked to shrug off her grievance at losing her husband to the sport, mid-match. It doesn't overplay the poverty angle, however much a brattish kid gets to take the mickey out of Lewis' lack of posh kit, and manages in its short duration to give a fully-rounded story arc to both those prongs. Tom Palmer provided many football stories for Barrington Stoke – the go-to house for books for audiences with reading disabilities, difficulties and reluctance – but this is a nice new variant on the theme. People for whom it matters will like the family (in the illustrations at least) being mixed-race, and if someone with a younger reading age than they "should have" is to pick this up, they will enjoy it greatly, and nobody will know the story within the covers has been simplified and made an easier read than the norm. It is still just as entertaining as it ought to be – and with a certain Danishman in mind, quite contemporary. A strong four stars.

This is the first heartwarming story I have read in a long while . A young man, whose father was a well known soccer star. He died on the field when Lewis was a baby. His mother from that moment always blamed soccer for the death of her husband a discouraged her so from playing. Always saying it cost to much and she didn’t have time to drive him everywhere to play. So Lewis watched you tube to learn exercises and fundamentals. He would practice behind their estate where he lived on the eighth floor. He and his mom actually lived on the eight floor so Lewis always took the stairs to build up stamina. He practiced to hit a certain brick with his left foot continuously one day catching the eye of a former professional player who saw true talent in him and eventually wanted Lewis to join the traveling youth club which he coached. His mother les the coach know she wanted no part of it and the reason. Lewis didn’t have the clothes or shoes to wear. His friends and the coach put together something for him to wear. When he showed up on the pitch he ran to join his friends. Coach and his assistant told the boys to start their drills and Lewis could keep up from already practicing the You Tube drills, then they started working by running fundamentals on the field. Assistant coach was impressed with what he saw in the newbie, one of the boys on the pitch was taunting Lewis.. for his hand me down wardrobe. Coach saw it was just a case of Lewis outshining the bully who felt threatened. to losing his spot on the team. The coaches pulled Lewis aside and said don’t listen to him. I was given fan advance copy for an honest review. I would definitely be recommending this book to kids who are about ten or eleven. I think maybe they could see themselves in it. Sometimes it is good to get lost in another person’ life experiences. Thanks to #NetGalley, #BarringtonStokeLtd publisher, and #EveAinsworth, author for the opportunity to review early.

Thank you, Barrington Stoke, for the advance reading copy.

This is such a good book which is so easy to read, short and perfect for the target audience.

I love the illustrations and the basic artstyle. It blends well with the characters and the plot.

The story is about a young boy who lives with his mom. He's trying to know his dad who he doesn't remember much or know about.

The writing is so easy to get into and fit for the young readers. It's about acceptance and working towards one's dreams despite difficulties. It talks about grief. It also talks about one's insecurities while growing up. The story ends on a very hopeful note. Such an uplifting one I say.

If you love sports and games, go for this book!