Spider McDrew gets the chance to play for the Parkfield school football team, in the end-of-season cup draw. As usual though, things are not plain sailing for Spider who lets his side down by giving away a crucial penalty kick. Poor Spider is a pitiful sight as he stands on the touchline all alone. Then, he is asked to take one last corner kick. / Topaz/ Band 13 books offer longer and more demanding reads for children to investigate and evaluate. / Text type - A humorous story with a familiar setting. / A reader response page provides lots of opportunities for speaking and listening and scaffolding writing. / Curriculum links - ICT: Combining text and graphics; PSHE: Developing good relationships. / This is the second SpiderMcDrew tale by Alan Durant and Philip Hopman.
Alan Durant is the author of books for a wide age-range, from picture books such as Burger Boy to top-end teenage thrillers (Blood, Flesh and Bones). Having worked as a copywriter at Walker Books, he is now a full-time author.
He's married, with three children and lives just outside London. He does a lot of school visits throughout the UK and abroad and also runs writing workshops.
