The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Ghoul in the School

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MARTA: Little circles for the- for the pupils. We can add a little bit more definition on the top of the eye for, well, a bit of, er, lashes. MARTA: That's right. And it's a nice way because when you're using a pen like s- like this one you can't rub it off. So you just draw the line in there. ALEX: So the first thing I think about is what do I want the setting to do in- as part of the story? Um, how do I want this place to feel? Um, how do I want the audience to feel about it? And then when you can go from there, when you know what you want, um, you-, how you want the place to feel, then you- you go through your senses. Think about your smell, um, the things you can hear, the things you can see. And then just really go through there, and, um, and using that you can really craft a- a setting.

In October 2020, he was appointed MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. Marcus has committed himself to combating child poverty in the UK and his book You Are a Champion, written with Carl Anka, is an inspiring guide for children about reaching their full potential. Marcus's first fiction title, The Breakfast Club Adventures, written with Alex Falase-Koya, published in May 2022. LAURA: Yeah, that's good. Thank you. And finally, when you're writing, do you ever read the words out loud to see how it sounds? And do you think it's important to use lots of EXPRESSION when reading out LOUD?! ALEX: Well, um, this is the type of thing where we kind of do-, it's all a real team effort. So we have loads of book designers who, um, look really hard at the text and think about what are the type of things which, um, are words that can catch the audience's eye. Um, and they kind of help, er, put that all together.MARTA: Oh my goodness. Er, they add massively, I think. 'Cause obviously the text is one thing but then the illustrations just basically expand, I think, the story. So, er, you illustrate what is in a story but also maybe what isn't, to a degree. So maybe, you know, some things aren't quite said in a text but you can add them, um, expand, basically. MARTA: Little lines underneath, because he's smiling, and when we smile we've got these little lines. And last but not least... MARTA: Exactly. And when you do both sides at the same time it's easy to find your way. Now we're gonna do the bottom...part. This book is really good fun and kind of reminded me of Scooby Do with all the talks of a ghoul. The main theme of this book is around people putting pressure on themselves and others to be perfect and the importance of asking for help. Marcus wants the Breakfast Club Investigators to be the perfect team who can solve all the mysteries put their way. When they struggle to work out what's going on, he starts to worry that the club will end and he'll lose all of his friends. Meanwhile, the school basketball team have suddenly hit a bad run of form and their captain, Gbenga, is feeling the pressure to be the best. Both Marcus and Gbenga recognise that the pressure their putting on themselves to be successful is taking its toll on them and the things they used to enjoy but they're not sure how to fix it. Thankfully for Marcus, his friends are there to support him and teach him that actually, asking for help is a strength and it can even mean you make new friends. When 12-year-old Marcus receives a mysterious invitation to join the Breakfast Club Investigators, little does he know that so many adventures await... and there are strange, curious cases that need solving! As he joins the Breakfast Club Investigators, he also makes new friends: Stacey, Lise and Asim. Together, they will have to use their wit, nerve and all their courage to solve some of the creepiest, weirdest and WILDEST mysteries their town has ever seen!

MARTA: It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to join together. Because, again, our eyes change all the time anyway.

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A teacher’s guide with reading National Curriculum links, discussion questions, and follow-up reader-response activity ideas. This is an easy to read and a well written book. I have seen some criticism recently of celebrities releasing books, however these books definitely have a place. Having the name ‘Marcus Rashford’ on the front cover will encourage many reluctant readers to select the book and the story within doesn’t disappoint. The illustrations and inclusion of regular humour keep the read nice and light. However some subtle mentions of visiting the school library, discussing current reading books amongst friends and a regular reading hour at home are lovely to see included. England International footballer, child-poverty campaigner and now bestselling author Marcus Rashford MBE has come up with the perfect series for children aged 8+ who love a little bit of gentle horror and a little bit of humour in their reads!

LAURA: Of course, the eyebrows. They give expression. Oh, and I see what you've done there. You've done it like Marcus' eyebrow. The Breakfast Club Investigators haven’t managed to solve a mystery in months and Marcus is worried that the group is going to break up! So when the captain of the school basketball team comes to ask for their help Marcus knows this might just be the Investigator’s last chance to prove themselves. MARTA: So, we look at the bottom of the six, again, and a little bit over the nostrils, just to find your way...somewhere here. The characters are extremely relatable and some of the issues they face will be welcomed by the younger reader - self-doubt, anxieties around friendships and in-school rivalries to name a few. But the main takeaway message is that it is ok to ask for help as we can’t all be good at everything. LAURA: Hmm. We've got some questions about writing and illustrating books, but all we need is a writer and an illustrator. Ah! Marta! Alex! Perfect!

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Don't miss the Breakfast Club Investigators next adventure in The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Ghoul in the School! LAURA: Yeah. OK, Alex, another one for you. Do you have any tips for writing setting descriptions? How do you set the scene? Alex Falase-Koya is a London native. He has been both reading and writing since he was a teenager; anything at the cross-section of social commentary and genre fiction floats his boat. He was a winner of Spread the Word’s 2019 London Writers Awards for YA/children’s. He now lives in Walthamstow with his girlfriend and two cats. He is the cowriter of Marcus Rashford's debut children's fiction title The Breakfast Club Adventures.