Last autumn I asked teachers, librarians and other adults to nominate children they thought would benefit from the gift of a book for Christmas. I received over 100 nominations and sent out Christmas presents to over 50 children. This year I am doing the same.

I’d like to give books to children who do not have books at home. Or to children who need that one special book that could help engage them with a lifetime of reading for pleasure. Also, to children who have had a difficult year and a book could be a boost for them.  The books will be personally dedicated, signed, gift-wrapped and will come with a Christmas card.

Last year I found this a moving experience, hearing direct from their teachers of children who were very ill themselves or were coping with poorly parents and siblings. Some nominations were for children who had showed extraordinary courage that year or for refugees who had lost pretty much everything in their lives.  Others were children who had only just discovered an interest in reading at school and their teachers wanted to encourage them with a book to take home.

If you’d like to nominate a child, please email the following information to admin@tompalmer.co.uk by Thursday 30^th November 2017:

1. the child’s name (this will not be published and will be kept in full confidence)
2. a short paragraph explaining why you are nominating that child
3. your choice of book for them from one of my 35 books listed on this page on my website: https://tompalmer.co.uk/about-tom/books-for-children/ . I have written books for children aged 5 to 15, covering history, spies, sport, detectives, ghosts and more.
4. your name and school address (where I will send the book)

I am sorry, I cannot promise to send a book to every child nominated, but I intend to send a personal Christmas card to each nominee and a poster pack for each school.  My family and I will chose the recipients and have the books dispatched in the first week of December 2017.

With thanks to the artist James Innerdale, who will be designing the image that goes on the Christmas card.