Soldier's Game

Ross is fed up with being on the losing side, as Bruntsfield Primary soccer team suffer another humiliating defeat. But after soccer practice each week he goes to visit his grandmother, and this week she has a special present for him. Pat digs out a pair of old soccer boots and strip which belonged to her father, who once played for Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Ross is amazed that his great-grandfather, Jack, had played for the famous Hearts. As he finds out more about Jack, an incredible story unfolds -- a tale of Edinburgh's young heroes and a battalion of soccer players and fans who fought in World War One at the Battle of the Somme. Based on the true story of the 16th Royal Scots, otherwise known as the 'Hearts Battalion', this moving book brings a fascinating moment of Scottish history to life. Jim Killgore interweaves the present day life of an ordinary soccer-mad boy with a story of young men who volunteered for war. He focuses on the friendships that develop as the lads play soccer and learn to become soldiers together, making this remarkable story enjoyable and accessible for young people.