An inspiring story about football, fitting in and true friendship

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An brilliant new upper Middle Grade novel…Raz Beri by Matt Stephens Publication Date: 29th August 2024 9781915444615| £7.99 | Paperback | 10 years + available to order now on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raz-Beri-Matt-Stephens/dp/1915444616/

An inspiring story about football, fitting in and true friendship

Billy has cerebral palsy and he’s had enough of his classmates treating him differently. But then Mia arrives and announces a school visit from her uncle: a famous footballer. Maybe being a star footballer in front of his classmates will help Billy prove to his class that he can be just like them. But when even the famous footballer turns out to be just as bad as the school bullies, Billy begins to realise that perhaps he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone but himself.

An inspiring upper Middle-Grade novel, Raz Beri is a story about football, fitting in and what true friendship really means, exploring cyberbullying and navigating the challenges of social media as a young teen.

‘Raz Beri is an uplifting read full of well-rounded characters and plenty of laughs’ Simon Packham

Firefly Press Editor, Hayley Fairhead says 'Matt's distinctive voice breathes life into the characters of Billy and Mia. Colourful, thought-provoking and inspiring, Billy's experiences will stay with you until long after you've turned the final page.'

Matt Stephens lives in Bristol. He derives joy and inspiration from his two daughters and three granddaughters. A turbulent past has been soothed by yoga, meditation and the realisation that human good outweighs human evil. He writes for adults under the name Ed Trewavas and currently works in a major supermarket. Previous employment has included warehouse work, farm labouring and nursery / infant teaching. He enjoys cooking, sport (well, Bristol Rovers) and, most importantly, spending time with family and friends.