The Bare Bum Gang and the Football Face-Off

Besides getting the all-male world of small boys to a T, it has irresistible instructions about how to make fart-bombs – Amanda Craig * The Times *Likely to appeal even to reluctant readers because it is funny and uninhibitedly improper, it is also well observed about boys and their attitude to girls – Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times *An engagingly witty story, it offers ready boy-appeal - though girls, too, will appreciate its sharp stance on gender stereotyping – Kate Agnew * Guardian Education *There’s a fine line between crude and funny, and McGowan treads it expertly. If this doesn’t get 7- to 9-year-olds reading, nothing will – Dinah Hall * Daily Telegraph *A laugh-out-loud tale – Jennifer Taylor * The Bookseller *

Anthony McGowan was born in Manchester in 1965. Educated at a Catholic comprehensive, he won’t say that his character’s schooldays are exactly based on his own but he certainly writes from experience. Before turning to writing full-time, Anthony gained a PhD in Philosophy, worked as a nightclub bouncer, an Open University tutor, a journalist and a civil servant. He is married with two children. In 2006 he won the Booktrust Teenage Prize for his teenage novel Henry Tumour. The Bare Bum Gang is his first series for younger readers.