Venessa Taylor is a Number 1 bestselling author with her debut book BALLER BOYS and BALLER BOYS VS THE BULLDOZERS. Both books are illustrated by Kenneth Ghann. She brings two decades of experience as an inner-city primary school teacher and assistant headteacher. Born and raised in London, Venessa continues her legacy as a literacy lead, through her stories. One of her proudest achievements was raising the standards of reading and literary engagement and attainment across the school with a focus of engaging boys and reluctant readers. Venessa used this valuable time to research and identify what students would respond most to in terms of content, characters and setting. Venessa soon realised that what the boys wanted to read about was not readily available, so took the challenge upon herself to inspire and encourage more young people - boys in particular - to read. Venessa wrote the BALLER BOYS series to empower young readers, reflecting the diversity football brings in a community, while showcasing different families, lives and challenges. Venessa continues to be inspired by her grandsons, and the stories are dedicated to her son-in-law, 'Coach Reece.' With their input and insight she was able to craft an authentic, inclusive series that she hopes all young readers will enjoy in and out of school!

'A fantastic read'Alex Wheatle MBE, author of Home Girl

Venessa Taylor is a Number 1 bestselling author with her debut book BALLER BOYS and BALLER BOYS VS THE BULLDOZERS. Both books are illustrated by Kenneth Ghann. She brings two decades of experience as an inner-city primary school teacher and assistant headteacher. Born and raised in London, Venessa continues her legacy as a literacy lead, through her stories. One of her proudest achievements was raising the standards of reading and literary engagement and attainment across the school with a focus of engaging boys and reluctant readers. Venessa used this valuable time to research and identify what students would respond most to in terms of content, characters and setting. Venessa soon realised that what the boys wanted to read about was not readily available, so took the challenge upon herself to inspire and encourage more young people - boys in particular - to read. Venessa wrote the BALLER BOYS series to empower young readers, reflecting the diversity football brings in a community, while showcasing different families, lives and challenges. Venessa continues to be inspired by her grandsons, and the stories are dedicated to her son-in-law, 'Coach Reece.' With their input and insight she was able to craft an authentic, inclusive series that she hopes all young readers will enjoy in and out of school!

'A fantastic read'Alex Wheatle MBE, author of Home Girl

Venessa Taylor is a Number 1 bestselling author with her debut book BALLER BOYS and BALLER BOYS VS THE BULLDOZERS. Both books are illustrated by Kenneth Ghann. She brings two decades of experience as an inner-city primary school teacher and assistant headteacher. Born and raised in London, Venessa continues her legacy as a literacy lead, through her stories. One of her proudest achievements was raising the standards of reading and literary engagement and attainment across the school with a focus of engaging boys and reluctant readers. Venessa used this valuable time to research and identify what students would respond most to in terms of content, characters and setting. Venessa soon realised that what the boys wanted to read about was not readily available, so took the challenge upon herself to inspire and encourage more young people - boys in particular - to read. Venessa wrote the BALLER BOYS series to empower young readers, reflecting the diversity football brings in a community, while showcasing different families, lives and challenges. Venessa continues to be inspired by her grandsons, and the stories are dedicated to her son-in-law, 'Coach Reece.' With their input and insight she was able to craft an authentic, inclusive series that she hopes all young readers will enjoy in and out of school!

'A fantastic read'Alex Wheatle MBE, author of Home Girl