Whilst good footballing stories for primary school children are steadily growing in number they are still few and far between so I was thrilled to learn that the award-winning and shortlisted Baller Boys were back.

It is the start of another season at AC United for best friends and football-mad boys Shay and Frankie. With Frankie having just been promoted from the development squad, the boys are hoping it will be the best season yet and have their eyes firmly set on winning matches, lifting trophies and being crowned Baller Boy of the season. But change is on the horizon. A new girl has joined the team, the football pitches are up for sale and Frankie’s parents want to move house. With challenges everywhere they look, can the boys stick together and keep on winning…

Venessa Taylor finds the back of the net with a match-winning performance in the second book in this engaging sporty series. This is another entertaining read that follows the highs and lows of AC United - a diverse football team, their families, the wider community and the various challenges that the players face in an eventful season both on and off the field. Loaded with pulsating action and plenty of drama, Baller Boys is a refreshing, enjoyable and accessible series for football-mad kids (especially appealing to those reluctant readers). Well written, told in snappy chapters and with plenty of illustrations, readers will race through the pages, always eager to read just a little bit more.

Diverse, inclusive and with great multicultural representation it is an exciting and accurate exploration of what it is like to be a young sportsperson. A very real and relatable cast of characters is made up of different ethnicities and genders, with Taylor sensitively exploring some of the challenges children experience - ADHD, dyslexia and child carers are touched upon as are anxieties, prejudices, insecurities and perceived injustices. What bonds this group together is a shared love for their sport and a willingness to do anything to keep playing it. The spirited group showcasing the importance of teamwork, friendship, acceptance, determination, commitment to the cause, standing up for what is right and putting differences and personal feelings aside for the good of the game. Led by multicultural coaches, AC (All Cultures) United are a wonderful collective of children and are the kind of team that many youngsters would want to be a part of, if they are not already.

Having the opportunity to participate in grassroots sport is essential for children but the ever-pressing need for more houses and developers who fail to see the value in parkland and green spaces means sporting facilities are often under threat. Taylor addresses the importance of saving the environment, protecting green spaces and securing wildlife habitats, championing the importance of finding a voice and taking up the fight when the bull dozers come calling.

Whilst this book is primarily about football - and for many children that will be the main draw as they live and breathe every kick, tackle, card, injury, goal, heartbreak and celebration - it is about much more than that. Yes it is a sporting story but it is also about everything that comes along with being involved in a team; the highs and lows, the success and failures, the challenges and the triumphs. It is about inner-city kids bonding over a shared experience and coming together for their team and their teammates.

A terrific series for lower key stage two children and a must-read for footballing kids. I cannot wait to see what next season holds for the Baller Boys (maybe a rebrand with superstar Ashleigh now on the team). Check out the Baller Boys website for additional content and activity sheets.

Recommended for 7+.

With huge thanks to Hashtag Press for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

My eight year old daughter is the biggest football fan - playing and watching - so I thought this would be the book for her. Unfortunately we couldn't get past the opening chapters because it all seemed to be about boys, and so she didn't connect.

This is the second book in the Baller Boys series and it's just as good as the first. As with the first book, this one continues to have the same great representation of the make up of North London communities. The All Cultures United team are united through their love of football and making sure that everyone feels welcome. I loved the arrival of Ashleigh and the way the boys initially reacted. They definitely had their stereotypical thinking challenged.

Shay and Frankie have to deal with some pretty big uncertainties in this book and it really focuses on the fact that changes can have a huge impact on children. Grown ups often try to keep changes a secret from children but often don't realise that children know something is going on and the feeling that they can't talk about it can make their anxiety so much worse. Frankie worries a lot about things after he overhears a conversation between his parents and when he finally talks to them about it, things do get better. In Shay's case, his worry was a big deal for him, but to some adults it may not seem as important. I think this is such an important idea for both children and parents to think about. Sometimes worries can be about big things and sometimes they can be about things that just feel big. Recognising this and conversations around how to manage feels around are important and that's one of the themes that comes through in this book.