‘Being hit in the goolies is probably number one on the list of things that are real funny when they happen to someone else and real not funny when they happen to you.’
Life used to be good for Sean Watson. Then his family lost their farm. Sean and his dad move to the city and Sean goes to Port Road High. When the school enters a team in the local football competition no one, least of all Sean, expects them to do well. Their coach is a lunatic and they can only scrape together fifteen players. Can they find a way to work together and make a team?
This novel, told through the eyes of the main character Sean, is fast moving and funny. Characters are well-drawn and convincing. As the football season progresses and the players begin to work as a team, Sean learns how to manage some of the challenges in his own life. Never heavy-handed, Half the Battle touches on many issues relevant to the target readership. Recommended for upper primary and early secondary readers.
Half the Battle, by Don Henderson
Omnibus Books (Scholastic), 2006
ISBN: 1862916772