Charlie Stubbs has one passion in life – playing football. Everything seems to be going really well for him until tragedy strikes and turns his world upside down.
Category: Children's fiction, Sport
Charlie Stubbs has one passion in life – playing football. When his family moved from Dublin to Manchester it was hard, but at least he was close to his favourite team. Manchester United. Now twelve, Charlie’s been in top form all season for the Salford Devils and a scout from Manchester United has been keeping a close eye on him! With his beloved grandfather coming to visit, everything is looking great ...
But then tragedy strikes and Charlie’s life turns upside down. A hurried move back to Dublin, his family dealing with a deep loss – and his football career stalled.
Then Charlie discovers that his grandfather was a great soccer player. He hears about The Legends' Lair and he soon sets his sights on organising one more tournament on the legendary football ground. But what old rivalries and buried tensions will he open?
It’s all to play for in LEGENDS’ LAIR………
Joe O'Brien lives in Ballyfermot in Dublin with his wife and children. He is the author of nine books featuring Alfie Green, a boy who can talk to plants. For older readers he has written three books about Danny Wilde and his Littlestown Crokes GAA team, Legends' Lair (about Charlie Stubbs and his dreams of becoming a soccer player) and one fantasy novel, Beyond the Cherry Tree. He has appeared on RTE's The Den, TV3's Ireland AM and many radio shows. He regularly holds readings in bookshops and libraries around the country.
Football fans will thoroughly enjoy this inspiring story … Charlie is an excellent character and boys will readily identify with him through his hopes and frustrations. A good way to encourage sports-mad children to enjoy reading
this soccer themed novel would appeal to senior pupils with an interest in sport, especially soccer … Children just want to play and this is what the book is about: playing the beautiful game
what O'Brien captures so well is the aura of the game. He handles with aplomb the sheer fun of playing a game with grace … O'Brien doesn't avoid the bumps in the road but invests the story with a lightness that suggests not pursuing daunting projects is more burdensome than marching straight into them. A joyful approach to sports … and a salute to the importance of understanding history
a story of rivalries, old and new, which will appeal to both girls and boys
perfect read for young soccer fans
Football fans of 9+ will love
'Legends' Lair' is a must-read for young football fans this summer’
Download Teaching Guides: Teaching guide to the book by Peter Heaney
