With one ball left of the World Cup final, England needed five runs to win. Mo stood in the middle of the pitch as Jos Buttler whispered in his ear: “If anyone can do it, it’s you.” Mo shook his head modestly and wandered back to the stumps. He tapped his bat twice on the ground and watched as Pat Cummins sprinted in: it was going to be a bouncer, he knew it would be a bouncer… “Mo Akeel.” Mo snapped back to reality. “Are you listening?” Ah. School. He nodded his head at Miss Joseph and tried to look interested. He glanced at the board and narrowed his eyes. Trigonometry. On a Friday. Some teachers had a very weird sense of humour. Thus starts the story of an ordinary Birmingham schoolkid in modern Britain. The story focuses on many of the themes prevalent in today’s society – religion, racism, bullying, equality and diversity. Told with real passion and skill, it will be an inspiration for a generation of young schoolchildren as they make their way in the world.
