STRIKER – serie

Karen’s dad is Muslim from Pakistan and her mother is white Christian, and Karen feels as if she doesn't quite fit in . . . anywhere. So she's made a choice: she's switching sides. She’s going to convert to Islam to find her true identity. But Shamshad, her hijab-wearing school mate, isn’t making things easy for her. What's her deal, anyway? Is Shamshad really any more proper than her?Turmoil erupts as school battles are replaced by family troubles; name-calling turns to physical confrontation, and cataclysmic secrets are unveiled. Set against a backdrop of seething Islamophobia, You're Not Proper shines a light on issues of identity, religion, politics and class affecting young people today.

Meet Adele Vialli: an intelligent, funny and resourceful 14-year-old – and a born troublemaker. Bored by her privileged life in a leafy suburb, Adele prefers shoplifting and hanging out with her footballer boyfriend, Marcus (from The Silent Striker).Adele is the star of her school’s football team, and when an England scout comes on the lookout for potential new players, her future seems full of promise. But when her City banker dad suddenly starts flirting with the mother of her ‘frenemy’ and fellow footballer Mikaela, a war breaks out between the two girls which threatens to throw everything off course.Teenage rivalry, family troubles – and the beautiful game. An honest, tender and witty examination of what it means to grow up in a culturally-diverse Britain today, and the struggle every young person goes through of finding out and understanding who they really are."Kalu packs plot and compulsive characters with story lines that grip" - The Voice (on Yard Dogs)

Football-crazy Leonard sits on the substitutes’ bench of the Ducie High School XI, but is never asked to play. Then everything changes. After a game near a nuclear power plant, a weird energy passes through Leonard, and that night he is visited by zombies . . .The ghostly players from the winning 1966 England World Cup team tell him that if he follows their instructions, not only will he get off the bench – but Ducie High Xl will start to take control. Leonard obeys, and the team’s prospects surge. But what is the price of the zombies’ involvement? How high will that price be – and what pound of living flesh will they demand?Zombie Xl is a story about football, friendship, family and cross-cultural teen relationships. Its humour, drama - and occasional shivers - send this book straight to the back of the net.

NEW EDITION, WITH TEACHER’S NOTES: Marcus is so good at football that there's a very real chance he'll be signed by Manchester United. But when he discovers he may be losing his hearing, his whole world falls to pieces and he finds himself having to put them back together on his own. But is this feeling of isolation real or just a consequence of his own behavior? While dealing with parents, friends and first girlfriends, Marcus gradually understands that accepting the help of others is ultimately an acceptance of self. A novel about friendship and family, The Silent Striker explores the issue of disability, identity and deafness, and the different ways in which we can choose to handle it.