Reading is so important to an 8-year-old's development. When football’s the only thing that matters, it makes sense to read about football.
With that in mind, we've gathered a selection of football books for 8 year olds to enjoy. Choose from football-playing dogs, big game changers, real stories from players, and football history to find the perfect football-themed reading for the little footy fan in your life.
Fiction
The Dog that Saved the World (Cup) by Phil Earle
To Pickles and Elsie, football is the best thing ever. Pickles loves nothing more than playing for big crowds. The two get the opportunity of a lifetime, playing at Wembley, but disaster strikes and it's up to Pickles to save the day.
Narrated by Pickles the Dog, The Dog that Saved the World (Cup) is a charming story following family, football, and defying odds. The text is broken down into short paragraphs and has black-and-white illustrations throughout.
Roy of the Rovers: Scouted by Tom Palmer, illustrated by Lisa Henke
When Roy hears the legendary defender Johnny Dexter is scouting for Melchester Rovers, he knows this is his shot at becoming a professional footballer. He just needs to be fitter, stronger, and smarter to stand a chance of catching the scout’s eye.
Scouted is first in the Roy of the Rovers series following Melchester's best striker in his football career. The black-and-white comic-style illustrations are dynamic and fun. Roy’s adventures are also part of a graphic novel series Roy of the Rovers.
The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Beast Beyond the Fence by Marcus Rashford and Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Marta Kissi
Since kicking his ball over the school fence, Marcus can’t bring himself to play football at lunchtime. Something strange is happening on the other side of the fence and Marcus's ball is nowhere in sight. It’s time for The BCI (Breakfast Club Investigators) to get on the case.
This delightful children's football book is written by England international Marcus Rashford and Alex Falase-Koya, author of Marv and the Mega Robot.
Non-Fiction
She Shoots, She Scores!: A Celebration of Women’s Football by Catriona Clarke, illustrated by Sarah Long
She Shoots, She Scores! is a fantastic introduction to women's football. It includes many aspects of the game from player profiles, footy facts, inspiring stories, stats, and tips on how to play.
Written by bestselling YA author Catriona Clake, this non-fiction book manages to be entertaining and engaging, while still delivering information to young readers. The pages are in colour and each page is dynamic and exciting. The text is broken into manageable segments for easy reading, which makes this the perfect book to pick up and read at any time.
Fantastic Football by Robin Bennett, illustrated by Matt Cherry
Written by the author of Monster Max and the Bobble Hat of Forgetting, Fantastic Football introduces young fans to the history of football and the beauty of the game.
The book contains fun facts, cool quotes, important dates, player spotlights, and hilarious jokes. It also gives young fans practical knowledge of player positions and skills. The series Stupendous Sports aims to be the sporting world's version of Horrible Histories.
Fantastic Footballers: Meet 40 Game Changers by Jean-Michel Billioud, illustrated by Almasty
Discover 40 football game-changers in Fantastic Footballers. Each profile is easy to read and gives readers a bitesize look at all of the footballing legends. The player profiles all have a short biography, which are broken down into small, manageable sections. They include each game-changer's goals scored, major honours, and biggest moments.
Football School Epic Heroes by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton
This book teaches youngsters all about the world through the prism of football. Join coaches Alex “Bellinhos” Bellos and Ben “The Pen” Lyttleton as you discover fun facts, true stories, and real science.
The illustrations are fun and make for a light reading experience. There are cartoon panels, tables, and silly drawings that break up larger sections of text. Football School is the perfect book for football fans who love to learn and share facts.
World At Your Feet by Rob Parker, illustrated by Lawerta
Ever wanted to see the match from the eyes of your favourite footballers? Now’s your chance to become Pele, Diego Maradona, Dennis Bergkamp, and many more legends as you score 16 impressive goals.
Filled with colour and excitement, it’s the perfect read for a football-obsessed 8-year-old. Written in rhyming verse, World At Your Feet places the reader right in the action as they score the goals. The text is manageable for younger readers and is a great choice for introducing little ones to football history.
More football books for 8 year olds
That's our round-up of some of the best football books for 8 year olds. If the books in this list aren't the right reading level you might find something suitable on these lists: