- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–10
- Comedy
Barry Loser is the Best at Football NOT!
Book 10 of 11 in Barry LoserView the full series
The obvious Barry Loser pick for football-interested readers, especially those who like the idea of sport but also enjoy laughing at overconfidence and failure. It is more comedy than sports fiction, but the football hook is clear and useful.
- Best for7–10
- FormatIllustrated
- Length240 pp
- Read aloud~3 hr25 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Exciting
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Barry Loser is absolutely convinced he has what it takes to be amazing at football, except the title gives away the problem: he is the best at football NOT. This tenth book uses sport as a comic pressure cooker, turning team play, skill, confidence and public embarrassment into another Barry-scale disaster. It is not a serious football novel; it is a joke-driven Barry Loser story where the football setting gives Barry a new way to misunderstand himself, show off, panic and attempt to recover his coolness. The heavy illustration, fast pacing and exaggerated narration make it very approachable for readers who might be drawn in by the football angle but still need a highly visual reading experience. It also has useful emotional material beneath the silliness, especially around trying something, not being brilliant immediately and coping with embarrassment.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Football fans
- Wimpy kid fans
- Tom gates fans
- Sport comedy
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Dislikes football
- Needs calm bedtime read
- Dislikes silly slang
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Low self esteem
- Making friends
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A riotously silly illustrated series in a one-of-a-kind voice — catnip for reluctant readers and a classroom-library favourite.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific kick is Barry insisting he's a brilliant footballer when he obviously isn't — joining the team, getting embarrassed, refusing to admit any of it. The Barry Loser for a football-obsessed reader who also enjoys laughing at over-confidence.
- Friendship and belonging
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The football-themed Barry Loser — sport setting, team-pressure plot, the usual doodly cartoon presentation. Useful for a football-mad reader who needs more reading and not just more matches.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Barry Loser.
11 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Jim Smith.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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