Families who loved In the Net by Jilly Hunt often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when you have an older child who is struggling with reading confidence and feels embarrassed by babyish phonics books. Many children aged 7 to 14 feel a sense of 'otherness' when their peers move on to complex novels while they are still mastering foundational sounds. This book bridges that gap by offering a high-interest topic, football, using very simple, decodable language. It focuses on the basics of the game, including kit and scoring, which allows the reader to feel like an expert on the subject matter even while they are still learning to decode. It is a tool for building self-esteem and resilience in readers who have previously felt defeated by text. By providing age-appropriate photography and a non-fiction format, it validates the older child's interests while gently supporting their specific educational needs.