Can you..

• kick the ball with your right foot?
• kick the ball with your left foot?
• dribble with the ball?
• head the ball?
• control the ball on your chest?
• control the ball on your knee?
• do tricks with the ball?
• pass the ball well - using both feet?
• throw the ball?

'These are some of the basic skills you need to be very good at if you want to be a top footballer, and this book will help you take them to new heights', says author Chris Dunkley.

Kids love kicking a football around, but if they're on their own, say, it can be a little aimless. This book takes that premise that top players are so good because they practise football skills over and over again - and then shows how to do it, on your own or with friends.  Each page shows a fun ball skill exercise - to do at home, in the garden, in the park (using the slide, for example, to roll and trap the ball) or at the beach (make a line of sandcastles and dribble round them). Children are encouraged to score,  time and record their results, and exercises progress in difficulty. The centrefold of the book is  a Champion Chart, on which your child writes the names of ten favourite activities and colours in a rating as s/he improves - from OK to Champion gold medal winner!

Age range: fairly flexible in the Primary School range (4-11). There are some great ideas which would make challenging games for older kids, and equally good early ball skill practises for the younger end.

We reckon it's a very handy book for parents to have at hand during the holidays, too.