Howdy kids! It's time for another blog about my reading adventures through the Summer Reading Challenge.
Football. Football. Football. There's been a lot of it on TV lately hasn't there? Which is great if you're a football fan like myself (not so great if you're used to your summer being relatively football free though). Now what does football have to do with books I hear you ask?
I was watching the final day of this very, very, long season knowing that there was still plenty of football to watch over the next few weeks. Having Football Fever again actually jogged something in my memory. That's the annoying thing about getting old, my brain has to work quite hard to remember stuff now, but when it does actually work it's quite useful.
Entry from Encyclopedia BritannicaMany years ago when I was in Year Seven, back when I was bright eyed and without a beard, our School Librarian would do an Assembly once a month. These were always my favourite assemblies because it's when she would tell us about all the new books coming out, and recommend one to the school.
During one of these assemblies our Librarian decided to recommend a book about football to a hall full of boys. It was called Keeper, by Mal Peet.
During one of these assemblies our Librarian decided to recommend a book about football to a hall full of boys. It was called Keeper, by Mal Peet.
On my lunch break I wolfed down my food so I could rush to the library and make sure I didn't miss out on a copy. I was a lucky boy and managed to grab the last copy.
Keeper starts in an office block in South America. Two men stand in a room, one looking out the window, the other trying to get a tape record to work. Once the tape recorder is working both men sit at a table. The man who has been mucking about with the tape is Paul Faustino, top South American Football Journalist. Opposite him is El Gato, the greatest Goalkeeper on the planet. Standing on the table between them is a surprisingly ugly lump of gold. A freshly won World Cup thanks mainly due to El Gato's heroics in the final.
Faustino is expecting a pretty normal interview. 'How does it feel to have won The World Cup?' etc, etc. However Gato has a lot to get off his chest. So he tells Paul everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Gato's story starts in a little Logging Village in an unnamed South American country.
Naturally like all the other children in the village he is football obsessed and dreams of playing professionally. Not as a Goalkeeper though. A young Gato wanted to be a striker or winger but would find himself tripping up over his own long, gangly limbs. Rather than being El Gato, or the Cat in English, the other kids call him La Cigüeña, The Stork. An upset and hurt Gato declares his early retirement from football all together.
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| Jake's Copy Of Keeper |
But what does a young boy do in a football mad village when he's given up the game? Well where Gato lives is surrounded by jungle, with a few narrow paths which he explores while sticking to his golden rule. NEVER LEAVE THE PATH. His family are concerned about this, and his Nan warns him that there's more in the Jungle than just creepy crawlies, reptiles, birds and big cats. She gives him a warning about the Waiting Dead. Spirits with unfinished business.
One day Gato breaks his own rule. Not on purpose, he just doesn't notice the path disappearing. Lost, he comes across the last thing he would expect to find at the heart of the deep dark jungle. He finds a large clearing with something very strange there. An old goal. A very old goal. He wanders towards it, right into the goal mouth. Then he senses he isn't alone. He turns around to this mysterious keeper with a cap pulled low over his eyes dressed up like an old player. When the Keeper speaks a terrified Gato runs away as fast as he can, until he finds the path home.
Gato keeps seeing the Keeper in his dreams. He can't seem to shake him. Gato ventures back into the jungle, looking for the clearing again, eventually finding it again, the Keeper standing in the goal waiting for him.
From here we go on a wild journey with Gato, learning how he became the best goalie in the world, from the mysterious clearing, to when he starts working at the logging camp and playing as goalkeeper in their game against the Loggers on Saturdays.
Revealing himself to the world, we go with him as he recalls becoming a professional at his local club, to his move to Europe where he wins The Champions League with tragic consequences, to the World Cup final and his greatest achievement.
Entry for Football in Oxford Reference OnlineThis book is a lot of fun. It's very well written, and sucks you in as you follow Gato's journey from the jungle to the height of footballing achievement. It also captures the magic of football, the games are described beautifully. You imagine every kick, every save, every whistle and every goal in vivid detail. But it's not just the magic of football that is perfect, but there's something about the mysterious Keeper that we keep getting pulled back to that keeps you guessing what's going on.
Entry for Football from the Oxford English Dictionary
I still re-read this book now, in fact I think I will be reading it again very soon. It's a great book which will appeal to football lovers and those who like something a little bit magical. I am giving Keeper 8/10.
Fancy checking it out?
You can call us on 020 8314 8430 to see if you can get it through our Click & Collect service or find it on our E-Library here
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Did
you know that we have an online Reference Library which can help you do
your homework? With your library card, you have free access to Encyclopedias, Newspapers from as far back as
1710, magazines, comics and books too.
Visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/elibrary with your library card to find out more.
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