How to use the new football season to get your child reading

Tom Palmer writes books for children, many of them about football. These are his ten tips on how you can use the 2017-18 Premier League season kick off this week to encourage children to read more for pleasure.

Find out about Tom’s latest book – Killing Ground – here.

Buy one of this weekend’s newspapers. They will all have exciting pull-outs and supplements about the Premier League kick off.

Visit your local public library and see what football books they have. Check sport in the adult and kids’ sections. Ask a librarian to order you a book if you want one about a specific team or player.

Do one of the online Fantasy Football games. Start a league with friends and families. Stress that the best way to do well is to read about football online and in newspapers.

Go to a newsagent’s and browse the new season football magazines. Browse for as long as you dare. Then – if your child is hooked – maybe buy the magazine.

Check out the National Literacy Trust’s Sport and Literacy resources on their website. Including videos, download and book lists: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/sport-and-literacy/football-and-literacy.

Borrow or buy one of the excellent short readable Ultimate Football Heroes biographies, featuring the likes of Pogba, Messi and Ronaldo. https://heroesfootball.com.

Go online and read one of the many online football magazines, such as www.shekicks.net.

If your children enjoy playing video football games FIFA and PES, direct them towards reading tips and advice about becoming better at the games at https://www.easports.com/uk/fifa/tips-and-tricks & https://www.konami.com/wepes/2017/eu/en/.

Go to a football match. Local lower league and non-league teams love the support and children often get in for free or very cheaply. Then buy a match programme. Get there early to give to time to read it together before the game.

Buy my new book, Dark Arena. Please. It features an in-construction London football stadium, a Roman amphitheatre, zombies and more. Read the first chapter and find out more here: https://tompalmer.co.uk/defenders/dark-arena.