To the outside world, the Smedleys look like any other family: Mum, Dad, son, daughter, hamster ... and a grandpa dozing in the corner. Looks can be deceiving, however, because the Smedleys have a secret ... a very BIG secret. They are actually a daredevil team of crime-solving football ninjas! There's no stopping Throgmorton United! After succeeding in local and national tournaments, they are off to Europe for their first overseas competition . The team are excited to be travelling together to Paris, Rome and Madrid, but they aren't alone ... Dastardly villainess, the Golden Panther has an eye on the tournament's priceless trophies - and seems to be one step ahead of the team at every turn. It's going to take a combination of luck, skill and technology to solve this continental crisis!

Jez Smedley: Diary of a Football Ninja: Continental Cup Crisis is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.
Reading age: 10-11 years

Illustrated by: Gareth Conway