Strike – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Football, Exploitation, Loss, friendship, determination.
Children’s book title: Strike.
Children’s author: Mitch Johnson.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Usborne.
ISBN: 9781836045670.
Recommended for children aged: 10-13.
First published: Paperback June 2026.
This children’s book is ideal for: discussing how our dreams or plans for the future don’t always happen as we’d like them to and how children in less developed countries have far harder lives than we do.
Trigger warning: Unexpected death of a parent – the book takes place a few years after the event.
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Our review:
For Owen Sharp and his best friend, Teddy, football is way more than just a game. They play in the same team, coached by Owen’s dad, and imagine having a glittering future in the Premier League as soon as possible! When a scout from Hollowell FC signs both boys, it looks like their dreams are about to at least begin to come true.
After his dad buys Owen a new pair of football boots and he finds a note inside one of them, it takes him down a different path, and he realises not everything in the game he loves is as it should be. Then he meets Budi, the recently signed star of his brand new team, and discovers how the exploitation of factory workers on the other side of the world is undeniably linked to the beautiful game he plays every week.
Determined to make a difference, Owen decides to stage his own protest, not realising how this too is about to change his life. As the world begins to listen to both Owen and Budi, he has a decision to make: does he continue with his protests or focus on his football, hoping he has already done enough to make a difference?
Our verdict:
Strike is so much more than just a book about football. It shows how monumental moments can change everything, whatever your age. The unexpected death of his mother, the chance to sign for the academy of a Premier League club, and the discovery of a note which opens up an unimaginable world to him all mean Owen is learning both pleasant and unpleasant lessons at quite a young age.
The support from his dad, Teddy, and eventually his new teammates, means this is a positive, uplifting read rather than one which concentrates only on the more negative aspects of Owen’s life. It does slightly limit its appeal by being based around football, but it should definitely engage the attention of boys who are reluctant readers in the suggested age range.
The death of Owen’s mother is covered in a conversation between Owen and Budi, and seemed, to me at least, to be how a child of his age would explain it. By using a fictional football team, the author was able to show how some big businesses have a place in popular sport for all the wrong reasons, without actually personalising it too much! The message was still as strong but aimed at a young audience, enabling them to learn about the darker side of the game in an age-appropriate way.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- The piece of paper Owen found changed everything for him. Do you think he would have understood what was going on just by watching Budi’s protests?
- The exploitation of factory workers in Indonesia wasn’t something Owen knew about before he found the note and talked to Budi. Did you realise it was happening before reading this book?
- Would you buy a product like the boots Budi was producing rather than a recognised brand if they helped workers in deprived areas of the world?
- Having a dream come true is very special. Were you surprised by the fact that only 1% of children whose dream is to be a professional football player actually achieve this?
- In a cross-curricular activity with art, design a poster to help with Owen’s protests or to advertise Budi’s new white football boots.
- The power of the internet is shown positively here. How limited would the exposure of Owen and Budi’s message have been without it?
- Did you realise that the title Strike has two meanings within this book?
- If you could look ten years into the future, how do you think Owen, Teddy, and Budi’s lives will have changed? Do you think Owen’s neighbour will get her house in the country?
Many thanks to Usborne for the review copy.
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