Happy 75th, Michael Hardcastle! (British sports fiction wr..

He lives in Beverley, England.

In "Contemporary Authors":

"Although sports fiction is still a budding genre in children's
literature, Michael Hardcastle has established himself as a prolific
author of children's fiction that not only tells exciting sports-
related stories, but demonstrates his skill as an author of serious
children's literature. Many of his stories center on football, and
Hardcastle approaches the sport from a variety of competitive levels
in order to show what football means to its players on and off the
field. Surprisingly, Hardcastle himself was not an athlete in his
youth. He once explained how he came to write sports fiction for
children: 'I think I became a writer because, as a child, I was a
voracious reader of fiction... being regarded as too fragile to
participate in physical contact sports. So I read everything that
attracted me but was disappointed to find that there was no sports
fiction to make up for my lack of opportunity to play ordinary
childhood games.'.....

"Hardcastle's background as a journalist has contributed to his
ability to present material realistically. Alan Edwin Day wrote in
Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, 'If the rewards of sports
fiction are tempting, the pitfalls awaiting authors who venture into
this specialized field can be daunting. One false line of dialogue,
one error in either description or situation, and the vital effect of
the total reality is irretrievably lost. Hardcastle triumphantly
surmounts these difficulties.... His stories are authentic and
convincing to the last detail.' "


http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=%22michael+hardcastle%22+...nG=Sear
(a few covers)

WORKS


* Soccer Is Also a Game. London, Heinemann, 1966 ; as Soccer Comes
First, London, Dragon, 1971 .
* Redcap. London, Collins, 1967 .
* Shoot on Sight. London, Heinemann, 1967 .
* Aim for the Flag. London, Heinemann, 1967 ; Chicago, Follett,
1969 .
* The Chasing Game. London, Heinemann, 1968 ; revised edition,
Southport, Lancashire, Hardcastle, 1976 .
* Goal, illustrated by James Hunt. London, Heinemann, 1969 .
* Dive to Danger, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1969 .
* Shilling a Mile, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1969 ; as Walk for Us, n.d.


* Stop That Car!, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1970 .
* Reds and Blues, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1970 .
* The Hidden Enemy. London, Epworth Press, 1970 ; revised edition,
as Hidden Enemy, Southport, Lancashire, Hardcastle, 1976 .
* Strike!, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn, 1970 .
* Smashing!, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn, 1970 .
* Don't Tell Me What to Do. London, Heinemann, 1970 .
* Come and Get Me, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1971 .
* Live in the Sky, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1971 .
* Shelter, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn, 1971 .
* A Load of Trouble, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1971 .
* Blood Money, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1971 .
* It Wasn't Me, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. London, Benn,
1971 .
* In the Net, illustrated by Trevor Stubley. London, Methuen,
1971 .
* Playing Ball. London, Heinemann, 1972 .
* Goals in the Air. London, Heinemann, 1972 .
* Island Magic. London, Heinemann, 1973 .
* United!, illustrated by Trevor Stubley. London, Methuen, 1973 .
* Away from Home, illustrated by Trevor Stubley. London, Methuen,
1974 .
* Free Kick, illustrated by Trevor Stubley. London, Methuen,
1974 .
* The Demon Bowler. London, Heinemann, 1974 .
* The Big One. London, Nelson, 1974 .
* The Chase. London, Nelson, 1974 .
* On the Run. London, Nelson, 1974 .
* Heading for Goal. London, Nelson, 1974 .
* Contact series ( Last Across, The Match, Dead of Night, Road
Race, A Hard Man, Catch, Day in the Country, The Long Drop ),
illustrated by Gareth Floyd. London, Collins, 8 vols., 1974 .
* Flare Up. London, Nelson, 1975 .
* Get Lost. London, Nelson, 1975 .
* Money for Sale, illustrated by Fermin Rocker. London, Heinemann,
1975 .
* Life Underground, illustrated by Roger Harris. London,
Heinemann, 1975 .
* Mark Fox series ( The First Goal, Breakaway, On the Ball,
Shooting Star, Goal in Europe, Kick Off, Attack! ). London, Armada, 7
vols., 1976 -82.
* Where the Action Is. London, Heinemann, 1976 .
* (Contributor) Diana Pullein Thompson, editor, True Horse and
Pony Stories, 1976.
* The Saturday Horse, illustrated by Trevor Stubley. London,
Methuen, 1977 .
* First Contact series ( Go and Find Him, River of Danger, The
Great Bed Race, Night Raid ), illustrated by Maureen and Gordon Gray.
London, Collins, 4 vols., 1977 .
* Strong Arm, illustrated by Gareth Floyd. London, Benn, 1977 .
* Fire on the Sea, illustrated by Gareth Floyd. London, Benn,
1977 .
* Holiday House, illustrated by Gareth Floyd. London, Benn, 1977 .
* Crash Car, illustrated by Gareth Floyd. London, Benn, 1977 .
* Soccer Special, illustrated by Paul Wright. London, Methuen,
1978 .
* Top of the League. London, Heinemann, 1979 .
* The Reporters ( Top Soccer, Top Fishing, Top Speed ). London,
Harrap, 3 vols., 1979 -81.


* The Switch Horse, illustrated by Paul Wright. London, Methuen,
1980 .
* Go for Goal, illustrated by Ron Sandford. London, Benn, 1980 .
* Racing Bike, illustrated by Ron Sandford. London, Benn, 1980 .
* Snakerun, illustrated by Ron Sandford. London, Benn, 1980 .
* Hot Wheels, illustrated by Ron Sandford. London, Benn, 1980 .
* Behind the Goal. London, Pelham, 1980 .
* Half a Team, illustrated by Trevor Stubley. London, Methuen,
1980 .
* The Gigantic Hit. London, Pelham, 1982 .
* Roar to Victory, illustrated by Patrice Aitken. London, Methuen,
1982 .
* Fast from the Gate, illustrated by Patrice Aitken. London,
Methuen, 1983 .
* Caught Out, illustrated by Trevor Parkin. London, Methuen, 1983 .
* Hooked! London, Longman, 1984 .
* The Team That Wouldn't Give In, illustrated by Trevor Parkin.
London, Methuen, 1984 .
* Double Holiday, illustrated by Shirley Bellwood. London,
Blackie, 1985 .
* Winning Rider. London, Methuen, 1985 .
* Tiger of the Track. London, Methuen, 1985 .
* The Shooters. London, Methuen, 1986 .
* James and the TV Star. London, Blackie, 1986 .
* No Defence. London, Deutsch, 1986 .
* One Kick. London, Faber, 1986 .
* Snookered! London, Blackie, 1987 .
* Mascot. London, Methuen, 1987 .
* Quake. London, Faber, 1988 .
* The Rival Games. London, Methuen, 1988 .
* The Magic Party, illustrated by Vanessa Julian-Ottie. London,
Blackie, 1988 .
* Kickback. London, Faber, 1989 .
* The Green Machine. London, Methuen, 1989 .


* Penalty. London, Dent, 1990 .
* Walking the Goldfish. London, Heinemann, 1990 .
* Joanna's Goal. London, Blackie, 1990 .
* Lucky Break. London, Blackie, 1990 .
* Mark England's Cap, illustrated by Margaret de Souza. London,
Heinemann, 1990 .
* Advantage Miss Jackson. London, Methuen, 1991 .
* James and the House of Fun. London, Blackie, 1991 .
* Second Chance. London, Faber, 1991 .
* The Away Team. London, Methuen, 1992 .
* Own Goal. London, Faber, 1992 .
* Dog Bites Goalie (short stories). London, Methuen, 1993 .
* One Good Horse. London, Dent, 1993 .
* Racing to Win. London, Mammoth, 1993
* Soccer Star. London, Heinemann, 1993 .
* Shooting Boots. London, Ginn, 1993 .
* You Won't Catch Me. London, Methuen, 1994 .
* Soccer Captain. London, Orion, 1994 .
* Netball Shooters. London, Mammoth, 1995 .
* Please Come Home. London, Faber, 1995 .
* Winning Goal. London, Methuen, 1995 .
* Carole's Camel. London, Heinemann, 1995 .
* Puzzle. London, Orion, 1995 .
* The Fastest Bowler in the World. London, Faber, 1996 .
* Matthew's Goals, illustrated by Bob Moulder. London, A. C.
Black, 1997 .


* The Most Dangerous Score, 2001.
* The Striker's Revenge, 2001.
* Soccer Star, Crabtree Publishing (New York, NY), 2003.
* Archie's Amazing Game, Stone Arch Books (Mankato, MN), 2006.
* Hit It!, Stone Arch Books (Mankato, MN), 2006.


Fiction as David Clark (illustrated by Richard Kennedy)

* Goalie. London, Benn, 1972 .
* Splash. London, Benn, 1972 .
* Run. London, Benn, 1973 .
* Top Spin. London, Benn, 1973 .
* Grab. London, Benn, 1974 .
* Winner. London, Benn, 1975 .
* Volley. London, Benn, 1975 .
* Roll Up. London, Benn, 1975 .



Lenona.