160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ 

Late Night Thursday! Our Hobsonville Bookstore is open until 9pm tonight! ✨

Pitch Invasion

Series: Defenders
2.83 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 12 ratings, 1 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Seth must confront his fears in the thrilling conclusion to the Defenders trilogy, blending Iron Age drama with a vibrant football theme.

As Seth anxiously awaits news about his mum's health, he is plagued by haunting visions of brutal scenes at an Iron Age hill fort. His encounter with two brothers passionate about football from Aleppo inspires him with newfound courage. Seth's journey is one of bravery as he seeks to face death and bring peace to the present.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Pitch Invasion. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for older children and young readers who enjoy fast-paced adventure stories with historical elements and relatable themes of courage and resilience.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Seth must look death in the face in this thrilling conclusion to the Defenders trilogy, featuring Iron Age drama with a sporty twist.

(Dyslexia-friendly)

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Seth must look death in the face in this thrilling conclusion to the Defenders trilogy, featuring Iron Age drama with a sporty twist.


A tense Seth is waiting to hear if his mum's got the 'all-clear'. But instead of relaxing in Cornwall, Seth is haunted by visions. Heads on spikes – bloodied and rotten, eyes pecked out – surrounding an Iron Age hill fort to keep intruders away. When Seth meets two football-crazy brothers from Aleppo their stories offer him a new sense of courage. Can he look death in the face and restore calm to the present?

Series: Defenders

View all
  • Dark Arena
    The action-packed second story in Tom Palmer's trio of spine-tingling spooky adventures with a sporty twist. It's meant to be a stress-free holiday in London, but suddenly Seth and Nadiya will need all their skills asDefenders. Ghostly activity is threatening a Premier League club as they build a new stadium on Roman ruins.One worker has already met a grisly death...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Killing Ground
    The breathtaking first book in an new trilogy of spine-tingling historical adventures with a football twist. Everyone is freaked out when circles of scorched earth start appearing in Halifax – on the moors, the parks and even the football pitches. Seth is most disturbed of all – he sees the shadows of the past. But when he looks into a...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Pitch Invasion
    Seth must look death in the face in this thrilling conclusion to the Defenders trilogy, featuring Iron Age drama with a sporty twist. A tense Seth is waiting to hear if his mum's got the 'all-clear'. But instead of relaxing in Cornwall, Seth is haunted by visions. Heads on spikes – bloodied and rotten, eyes pecked out – surrounding an...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"Will grip young readers from start to finish, and make them think about their own place in the world" – LoveReading4Kids

"A good, pacy read with illustrations to help it along and support understanding. It’s perfect for an older reader who really needs a decent gripping story but might be overwhelmed by too chunky a text" – Books for Keeps

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781781127315

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 November 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Barrington Stoke Ltd

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by David Shephard

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 120g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Tom Palmer was a reluctant reader as a child and credits articles about football with getting him into reading. He is now the multi-award-winning author of many books for young readers, including the Young Quills Award winner After the War and FCBG Children's Book Award winners Armistice Runner and D-Day Dog. In 2019 Tom was awarded the National Literacy Trust's Ruth Rendell Award in recognition of his significant contribution to literacy work in the UK. David Shepherd, OBE, is one of Britain's most popular and successful artists and his original paintings and limited edition prints hang in collections throughout the world. He is a tireless campaigner for the causes in which he believes, most particularly wildlife conservation, which led him to set up The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. He has published a number of books and received a number of honours, amongst them the Order of the British Empire. David is married with four daughters and lives in West Sussex. He is also the proud owner of two steam locomotives.

Also by Tom Palmer

View all
  • After the War
    Master storyteller Tom Palmer returns with a deeply moving and beautifully told novel of friendship and belonging, inspired by the incredible true story of the Windermere Boys. The best children’s fiction book I’ve yet read about the Holocaust – Tim Robertson, CEO Anne Frank Trust Summer 1945. The Second World War is finally over and Yossi, Leo, and Mordecai are...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Angel of Grasmere
    Tarn grapples with the loss of her brother at Dunkirk as she faces the threat of Nazi invasion in the Cumbrian countryside in this gripping wartime tale from Tom Palmer. July 1940 – as Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk, she and her friends...
    Paperback
    $1600
    Usually:
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Arctic Star
    Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer returns with a thrilling naval adventure inspired by the incredible history of the Second World War Arctic convoys. Arctic Star is set in Winter 1943. Teenagers Frank, Joseph, and Stephen are Royal Navy recruits on their first mission at sea during the Second World War. Their ship is part of an Arctic Convoy sailing to Russia...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Armistice Runner
    Tom Palmer celebrates the unsung athletic heroes of the Armistice in a powerful tale of the fell-running messengers on the front-line of war. Armistice Runner follows Lily, a young girl with a lot on her mind. She's struggling to compete in her fell-running races and, even more worrying, she's losing her gran to Alzheimer's. Amidst these challenges, Lily finds her...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Resist
    Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on life under wartime occupation, in a beautifully told story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn. As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is fraught with peril and hardship. There is very little to eat,...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Football's Greatest Moments (Ultimate Football Heroes - The No.1 football series): Collect Them All!
    From the invention of the modern sport all the way to the present day, bestselling author and football expert Tom Palmer picks one hundred of the most thrilling and significant goals, games, and players from more than 150 years of the Beautiful Game. Featuring PelΓ©'s World Cup, Maradona's Hand of God, John Barnes' MaracanΓ£ magic, and the Lionesses' European Championship...
    Paperback
    $1699
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Spitfire
    Football meets fantasy in this second title of Tom Palmer's action-packed Wings trilogy. Greg's fed up with playing in goal. He reckons things only happen to you there. The other players get to make them happen. The summer school isn't turning out how he'd hoped at all.The old airfield next to the school freaks Greg out … but when he...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Ultimate Football Heroes Generations: Liverpool's Greatest Moments
    From the founding of the club in 1892 to present day, bestselling author and football expert Tom Palmer picks ONE HUNDRED of the most thrilling and significant goals, games, players and moments from more than 130 years of The Reds. Featuring the 2022 FA Cup win, the 2005 Miracle of Istanbul, Liverpool's first division title in 1947, the 2006 "Gerrard...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Rugby Academy
    Dive into the world of rugby in this action-packed, globe-trotting sports adventure from top-selling author Tom Palmer. Rugby Academy follows the journey of Borderlands First XV as they strive to become the best school rugby team in the world. While the boys focus on their matches, many of their parents are serving overseas in the armed forces, causing them concern...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • War Dog
    War Dog tells the inspiring story of Judy, a dog who loves her crew, and they love her. She knows that she brings comfort to the men, making her job very important during these hard times. But when her soldiers are taken prisoner and she is separated from her beloved Frank, she must find the strength to keep going. She...
    Paperback
    $2199
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Typhoon
    Two sisters must put their differences aside in order to survive the ultimate challenge in the finale of Tom Palmer's action-packed Wings trilogy. It's the last day at football summer school. Jess is moving in for an easy shot on goal when the roar of a fighter jet nearly flattens her with shock. For Maddie, it's the final straw.Once the...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Front Foot
    Pre-order
    Front Foot
    Navigating life in England, Azeem hopes to share his passion for cricket with his new friends in this action-packed sports story from award-winning author Tom Palmer. Azeem’s father dreams of one day seeing his son play cricket on an English cricket pitch wearing English cricket whites. Getting to grips with his new life in the UK, Azeem can’t understand why...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Pre-order
    Out 30 Dec 2026

More from Children's Books

View all
  • New Release
    Gruffalo Granny
    The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...
    Hardback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Sprinkle in Time: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #15)
    New Release
    A Sprinkle in Time: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #15)
    In the newest saga, our anti-hero, Grandpa, alters the fabric of time and space. Is his evil the necessary soil for Dog Man and friends to grow and bloom? Can we all step up to be the change? It's the saga of the centuryβ€”Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time!
    Hardback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Fight or Flight: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (21)
    When the going gets tough, what’s a wimpy kid to do? InΒ Fight or Flight, Greg Heffley faces his biggest challenge yet as he becomes a target for the school bully. Luckily for Greg, his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, takes karate, so at least Greg’s got someone in his corner. But an unexpected twist makes Greg realize he’s facing an uphill...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Detective Beans Colouring Club
    New Release
    Detective Beans Colouring Club
    Help Detective Beans solve the case of the missing colours! Join the Colouring Club now! Join the Detective Beans Colouring Club! Inside you'll find 40 removable colouring pages featuring scenes from all over Cat Town. Filled with all the characters you know and love from the Detective Beans graphic novels like Biscuits, Beans' mum, Mr Brickle, Bear, Detective Baby Bird...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1799
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Sixth Faction
    Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives. She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind. But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changesβ€”her world, her...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Naturals: Dangerous Impulses Book 5
    The Naturals are BACK! No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers the highly anticipated new installment in her beloved Naturals Series. Cassie Hobbes joined the FBI's Naturals program at seventeen because she had an incredible ability to read people. Since then, Cassie, fellow profiler Dean, emotion‐reader Michael, lie‐detector Lia, and statistical genius Sloane have caught serial...
    Paperback
    $2199
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    All of Us
    A new heart-wrenching, well-researched historical novel for middle-grade readers. 'The weirdest thing,' continues Tove, 'is that I don't feel any different to the rest of you.' 'That's because you're not!' snaps Birgitte. 'You're Danish.' 'So why do the Nazis hate me and not you?' When twelve-year-old Viggo and his friends Finn, Tove, Birgitte and Konrad start writing rude letters to...
    Hardback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Star Path
    New Release
    The Star Path
    A young whale searches for the whale rider's heir and a teenager takes an epic voyage to Antarctica with a fleet of waka hourua to claim his lost inheritance, in this breathtaking return to the world of global hit The Whale Rider, over thirty years on. From the internationally acclaimed author of The Whale Rider comes a novel about the...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Wahine
    New Release
    Wahine
    From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas
    From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! But this time... it's not about Lottie! From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! And it's CHRISTMAS! In The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks we spent the holiday season with...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Matihe! Achoo! Matihe! Achoo!
    New Release
    Matihe! Achoo!
    What happens when a grumpy tupua has to sneeze? Matihe! Achoo! is a bilingual story about the tupua Mataoho and his connection to the volcanoes of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. It comes with an action song to engage young readers! He pūrākau e pā ana ki a Mataoho me ngā puia o Takamaki Makaurau. He tupua pukukino a Mataoho e noho...
    Paperback
    $1899
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Sweet As Looky Book
    New Release
    The Sweet As Looky Book
    Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...
    Hardback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.