Today I am on the blog tour of Jump! by JG Nolan. A book for 8 to 12 year olds about football and overcoming adversity to do what you’re really passionate about. Discover more in the blurb and my review below.
Review
Set in Scotland, around Glasgow and Clydebank, and features Cathkin Park quite a bit, football is important to Robbie Blair. He’s a huge Celtic fan and wanted to play football so much and had the talent, but breaks so many bones. He meets Jo, whilst in hospital, who knows a thing or two about football as her husband is also a fan. Heartwarming chat takes place.
Back home, he has a friend in Hamish, who misses him around the pitch and at school. Readers will see Robbie overcome adversity. There is also a school trip to an old people’s home, which gets very interesting and also valuable to readers. It reminds children that the elderly were young once and have so many tales to tell. Robbie is told about Hampden and Patsy Gallacher in 1925. This also renews Robbie’s determination to play football again and fight against the odds of what the doctors told him in the hospital.
This book is one children who are football fans will find fascinating. The storytelling in short chapters, creating a fast, exciting pace, like a football being kicked, but also with nuances within the chapters, which also have some illustrations and a photograph at the end. It’s a story against adversity with warmth of friendship and determination. There is much to learn within this story as it takes children back in time in footballing history, that will have them immersed and come out at the end knowing more than they may well had from when they began. In the blurb, there is a powerful, energised quote by Joe Heart, Celtic FC “We can all learn from Robbie Blair.” And perhaps we can, including children.
About the Author And Illustrator
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JG Nolan Jump! media pic 2022
JG Nolan was born and raised in a sleepy village in Shropshire and loved writing stories and
playing football as a child.
He has been a teacher for many years, working mainly with children who have had difficult
beginnings in life. He strongly believes in positive thinking and feels most things are achievable if
you put your mind to it.
When his football mad son, Robbie, was much younger, he kept breaking bones and was told by
the doctors that he should never play football again. It was during one of his many lengthy stays
visiting Robbie in the local children’s hospital that the idea for ‘Jump!’ drifted into JG Nolan’s
mind.
JG Nolan began to read the exploits of famous, maverick footballers from the past, to inspire his
son and give him hope. Whilst doing this, he became more and more drawn to the tales of
famous Celtic legends from the 1920s, whose names are still chanted in Parkhead to this day. It
soon became clear to him- his first book would have to be set in Scotland.
JG Nolan’s research led him to discover the iconic, ethereal, Cathkin Park.
After meeting Scottish actor Simon Weir, who has helped preserve the park for many years, the
pieces of the jigsaw fell into place and ‘Jump!’ was born.
When JG Nolan’s son started on his long road to recovery and fitness, his determination to
succeed reached the ears of famous local footballer Joe Hart, then at Manchester City. Joe very
kindly sent Robbie some signed goalkeeper gloves to cheer him up during treatment. Robbie
would eventually follow in Joe’s footsteps and attend the same secondary school in their home
town, Shrewsbury. Years later, after Joe had transferred to Celtic, he was thrilled to be asked to
read ‘Jump!’ and offered to write the foreword. A truly serendipitous chain of events!
Carina Roberts is an award-winning artist and illustrator who loves creating characters and telling
stories. Carina spent her childhood drawing, reading and befriending animals – it was in these
first few years that her dream to be an illustrator was born. She’s been running with it ever since!
She specialises in creating books, particularly for young readers – a lot of her inspiration comes
from the wilds of Wales where she lives. She adores fiction and nonfiction alike – after working
on illustrations for the National Trust in 2020 she is especially keen that her work encourages
Real name is Louise. Books and Theatres are passions of mine, as is supporting people in any way I can.
Since starting my blog in 2019 I’ve reviewed books and theatre. Publishers, authors, blog tour organisers kindly entrust me with books, in-exchange of an honest review. I’ve been invited to and attend book events and write them up and review. I have started to interview authors too.
I review theatre - plays, musicals, stand up comedy. I’ve been invited to review plays and comedians.
I love connecting with the reading, writing, publishing, acting communities.
On my blog, I also have a Contact Me, if you’d like anything reviewed etc. I generally get back to people within 48hrs.
I hope you enjoy my blog as I take you through my book and theatre reviews as well as book events and festivals as I attend them.
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Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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