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Mark Schwarzer answers questions at his Adelaide book launch – 24/6/08

The Football Federation SA will be hosting Qantas Socceroo star Mark Schwarzer on 24th June to release his latest instalment of his children’s book, “Megs, Scarves and Sombreros”.

Schwarzer will be visiting Gleeson College, Prince Alfred College and Underdale High School where students will be able to meet their hero.

Due for Australian release on 1 June, “Megs, Scarves and Sombreros” – the much anticipated sequel to Schwarzer’s first children’s book – comes with the stamp of approval from one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

In his forward, Pele has written of Mark that he “has written a series of children’s books that I think are important. Megs is a great example of how football speaks the same language to people all over the world regardless of their background, color or religion. These books show how beautiful our game is not just on the field, but for children growing up.”

“Megs, Scarves and Sombreros” is the second book written by Mark Schwarzer with Neil Montagnana-Wallace about the adventures of Megs — a young English soccer fanatic who migrates to Australia with his parents.

Primarily a story about football, Megs is also a story about tolerance and acceptance — with characters of all races, religions and gender represented equally and treated with respect by the main characters.

Both Mark and Neil have drawn substantially on their own experiences growing up in Australia to create the world of Megs. This series of books has become a labour of love for the two young fathers, who are both children of migrant parents.

“There has never really been in books in Australia or anywhere that have catered for football loving kids,” explained Mark Schwarzer. “With Megs, we wanted to help these children find a passion for reading, and the feedback from the first book from both kids and parents has been very encouraging. Now, we just hope that they like the second book as much as they did the first… the pressure’s on!”

The first instalment released in 2007 was called “Megs and the Vootball Kids” and introduced readers to Edward “Megs” Morrison as he struggled to make friends at his new school and set up a school football team, the Pennendale Wanderers. The book is now selling in England, and is due for dual release with the second book in Singapore and Malaysia on May 16.

This latest instalment follows Megs and his team mates as they face some mean spirited tactics from their arch rivals, and the prospect of a tantalising prize for the winner of their first competitive season. It’s about dealing with racism, tackling adversity, and striving for shared goals.

The third book in the series, “Megs and the Crazy Legs” is scheduled to follow on quickly with a scheduled release date before Christmas 2008.

“Megs, Scarves and Sombrerors” is available for $14.95 from all book stores from 1 June, 2008 or is available via from www.megsmorrison.com. The website also allows kids to email Mark directly with their questions and become members of the “Pennendale Wanderers Fanclub” to win great prizes.

The book is published by Bounce Books, a boutique publishing house based in Melbourne www.bouncebooks.com.

Duration : 0:10:55

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