To launch the Naval Childrens Charity’s 2022 writing competition, a copy of “Arctic Star” has been on tour.

Pictured on Britain’s biggest warship, HMS Prince of Wales, a Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier is Lt Duckworth RN.

Pictured on HMCS Sackville, a Flower-class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and Canada’s oldest warship is William Woodburn, Chair of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust.

Thanks for sharing these photos with us and congratulations to all the entrants and the overall writing competition winners Molly and Maggie.

Find out more about the Naval Childrens Charity here

Find out more about HMCS Sackville here.

Refugee Week 20-26 JUNE 2022

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

I will be writing a new FREE 5 part read aloud story with the National Literacy Trust to mark Refugee Week 2022.  If you would like a reminder of when it and other resources will be available please use the contact form below.  Please be patient.  Our replies are not automated so you will get a personal reply.

Tom on “Why I featured refugee child characters in recent books…”

“Several of my latest published books have featured child refugees who have made it to the UK to be taken in by families and communities.

I did this because I have visited many schools and communities that have children who are refugees from Syria (and other troubled places in the world) and met them and heard their stories.

That – and reading books and articles about the war – motivated me to develop Yusra, Galip and Aylan as characters in my children’s books.

I did it, also, because I want children who are in all schools to be able to read about how we – in our relatively safe and stable country – can help people whose lives have been smashed to pieces and how we need to remember this country has a history of taking in and accepting refugees.

D-Day Dog (Barrington Stoke)  I wanted to think about how today’s refugees are part of our history, part of our future and that is why it is so good to welcome them to the UK.

Gus the Fantastic Football Cat (Egmont, KS1) is about a Syrian girl and her dad who look after a rescue cat when they arrive in the UK from Syria. The parallel of the girl taken in by a UK community and her, in turn, taking a rescue cat in is the only thing about the story that relates to her background. The rest of the story is hopefully a lot lighter, as the cat reveals it can predict World Cup football results.

Pitch Invasion (Barrington Stoke) is a bit more direct. The story is about a haunted hillfort in Cornwall and a ghostbusting duo – Seth and Nadiya – who realise there is a parallel between the ghost of Iron Age refugees escaping the brutal Romans by heading west and two Syrian boys – Galip and Aylan – who have recently been taken in by a Cornish family, after tragedy in Syria. The refugees I describe could well have been some of your Iron Age ancestors, people who might have been part of Boudica’s Iceni tribe after she was killed fighting them. I wanted to think about how there are refugees now just as there always have been. People have always had to flee. Then and now.”

More resources :

“Them” – is a FREE 5 part read aloud story set in 1945, from the point of view of the children in the Lake District community who received 300 child refugees from the Nazi concentration camps after the end of the Second World War.  This was written for Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 for the National Literacy Trust but can be used all year round.

• Read “Them” here
• A powerpoint introducing “Them” here
• 5 short films and worksheets to support “Them” story and inspire pupils to write their own responses here
• A teacher guide with ideas and sources to support your delivery of “Them” and children’s writing here
• 5 short films of Tom reading out loud “Them” available from here

“The Question” is a FREE 5 part read aloud story set today, from the point of view of pupils meeting a Holocaust survivor at their school and asking them about their refugee experience.  This was written for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 but can be used all year round for the National Literacy Trust but can be used all year round.

•  Read “The Question” here for you to read aloud / stream / share or as a series of 5 films of Tom reading the story for you to use however suits your school here ).

You can also find out more about the Windermere children’s story in my children’s book “After the War from Auschwitz to Ambleside” here.

More resources from Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 here.

More resources from Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 here.

My children’s book White Fear tackles environmental fiction and activism through fiction.

Lily, Lesh, Hatty, Adnan and Kester are the Squad.  They have been summoned to the deadly and frozen land of the Arctic Circle by the British Prime Minister who has heard of their growing reputation as brilliant young spies.  An unknown criminal is trying to hijack a world conference about the precious and much fought-over fuels that lie below the arctic ice.   To prevent an international war breaking out, Lily, Lesh, Hatty, Adnan and Kester go undercover to find out who it is and stop them.

But the beauty of the icy mountains and deep fjords hide some dangerous secrets and someone will do anything to make sure that the Squad don’t discover them . . .

Read the first chapter for free here.

Learn more about reading and writing The Squad with Literacy Resources here.

Watch the fantastic Squad : White Fear book film trailer, made by Cameron McTeare here.

Available from your local library, bookshops and Amazon and Kindle.

Published by Puffin Books.

Themes in White Fear – 1 Protecting the Environment

I am proud to be a signatory to the International Declaration on the Future of the Arctic.

White Fear was inspired by reports I read in newspapers about how quickly the Arctic ice is melting – and the numerous predicted catastrophes :

•     the seas will rise

  

•     rare wildlife will die out
•     communities that live in the Arctic will lose their way of life
•     without the ice in place, the seabed is accessible and some countries will begin to drill for oil, gas and other valuable resources – AND that they will start to jostle for who owns which part of the sea bed.

White Fear draws mostly on the last two threats.

It is set at a fictional conference of the Arctic Powers (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and USA) in Tromso, Norway. These countries are trying, in a last chance to avoid war, to decide who owns which part of the seabed. But evil forces are at large. Forces that profit from war and oil exploitation. Forces that don’t want peace.

The only way to avert war is for The Squad – five British child spies – to infiltrate the conference and stop the evil-doers. It involves mountain-top anxiety, abseiling, chases on ocean liners and even a submarine.

It also involves an ecological protest group made up of Inuit people – called White Fear – that is trying to make the Arctic Powers see sense and help reverse the ice melt.

Sadly, recent events have re-highlighted the problems the Arctic faces.

The Arctic ice is now at its smallest and thinnest since records began. The melt is accelerating year on year, meaning that some Arctic Powers are already exploring, looking for oil and gas and minerals. Not so long ago the Russians placed a Russian flag on the seabed, appearing to claim it for themselves.

Only very recently Greenpeace has been trying to prevent Russian drilling ships from searching for oil beneath that newly-exposed seabed, facing a very aggressive response from the Russians.

When I researched White Fear, I was on board a Norwegian ship, looking at the waters and land that the Arctic Powers are fighting over.

I hope this book does something to raise awareness in children about something that is vital to the future of our planet.

Daily update on the Arctic ice visit http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

News from Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic campaign visit www.greenpeace.org.uk/.

Read my blogs about Climate Change week here and here.

Learn about my research trips here

• On-deck
• Norway

Check out how I used my research to write Black Op and White Fear on my blog writing about Norway.

Themes in White Fear – 2  a character in a wheelchair

“Children’s fiction has a huge lack of disabled characters, which means many children find they do not have characters that they can relate to in the books they read.” Phoebe Kirk

It was really important to me to make a spy series believable and to stress the extreme risks the members of a child spy team would take.  Sadly, this meant from the outset – in Chapter 1 of Black Op – a character is killed in the field.  And in the sequel, White Fear, a character called Lesh has a terrible fall, but survives to stay on the Squad.  It was really important to me to demonstrate what an important contribution he continues to add to the team as a boy in a wheelchair. My dad spent a long time in a wheelchair, so it is something I’ve spent time thinking about.

Discover other children’s books with characters who have a disability suggested by Scope here  and here  and here .

Real Reader Reviews

‘Hi Tom your book called The Squad White Fear is great I love the way you made Lily like jump off the cliff to get to a cable car, when you made Frank Hawk hunt Kester and Lily it was cool and when Frank tricks them into thinking the detonator that was a scary part of the book. Is Tromso a real place? My name is Scott and… I LOVE YOUR BOOKS! ‘ Scott, Ysgol Esgob Morgan

“Tom Palmer books are usually extremely popular with my pupils at school, and this one will be no exception. It is the second book in the series ‘The Squad’, following the adventures of a group of teenage spies. They manage to stay undercover by being part of an elite youth football team that travel the world playing in matches and tournaments.

The book has sets off at a great pace and wastes little time in getting to the action. It is extremely current, as the group are involved in an adventure based around drilling for oil in the Arctic ocean. The characters of the children are varied enough to be interesting, and the main adult in the story is an archetypal evil genius (of sorts)…

Highly recommended. I have found Tom’s previous books to be a perfect way in to reading for some of my more disengaged pupils, due to the links with sport and simple-to-read, fast paced style of the books. White Fear will continue that trend.” Jonnybid

“What a great book! I am looking forward to White Fear and can’t wait.” Saad Siddiqui

Tell me here what you thought about White Fear.

Buy the books

The Squad 1 : Black Op Amazon
The Squad 2 : White Fear Amazon

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Tom has written a FREE new 3 part Classroom Read, set in First World War Leeds. Suitable for years 5-8. Thanks to Leeds SLS.

• 3 x 15 minute read chapters to read aloud released 8, 9, 10 November
• 3 x films of Tom reading the story
• 3 x films about how and why Tom wrote the story
• Additional support materials for teachers
• Live Virtual Event-11 November 2021

All free to use and download from my Leeds SLS webpage here

I’m often asked about my career in writing, reading, publishing, bookselling, libraries and book festivals.

Listen to my recent interview with The Careers Podcast
here .

And I’ve made a FREE short introductory film about my career and how it has been based around the world of reading and writing – in bookshops, libraries, book festivals and literacy charities.

It is for classroom use in careers, English or PHSE lessons, aimed at people who might like a career in the book world.

Watch or download from my advert free YouTube site here.

If you would like me to make an extended pre-recorded film for your school including or focusing on :

• careers in writing
• careers in reading
• careers in publishing
• careers in bookselling
• careers in Libraries
• careers in book festivals

please do get in touch below or email me here.  

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Please send me

• A signed poster pack by post
• A signed bookplate by post
• A certificate for reading a series by post
• Details about school inperson and virtual visits by email
• Details about buying signed books by email
• A holiday e-newsletter for young readers
• A termly e-newsletter for schools and libraries
• An e-newsletter about Angel of Grasmere
• An e-newsletter about Holocaust Memorial Day 2026

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Buy Books

Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” here. 

With an extra special Christmas or birthday card from me on request!

Australia: Boomerang
Canada: Amazon Canada
New Zealand: Wheelers
USA :  Indigo books

Visit my bookshop or support your local bookshop

Schools bumper book pack
offer

33 books for £200

Saving £73

Over 25% discount

Free Delivery

Please email rosie@rosemaryhillbooks.co.uk

Schools class set offer

15 copies 20%+ discount
30 copies 25%+ discount
100 copies 30% + discount

FREE DELIVERY & SIGNED BOOKPLATES

Please email rosie@rosemaryhillbooks.co.uk for a quote

Email me here for more information or use my contact form here to ask me a question.

Thank you.

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Read His Name is Ben – a short story for children by Tom Palmer illustrated by James Innerdale – about Sir Ben Helfgott, one of The Boys who came to Loughton and went on to become an Olympic weightlifter.

Tom Palmer is the author of “After the War – from Auschwitz to Ambleside” about the 300 Windermere Children, who came from Auschwitz to Ambleside over 75 years ago.  More here.

More about what happened next to the Holocaust Survivors at a new Epping Forest District Museum exhibition here . 

More about James Innerdale here

On Saturday 14 August, I will be following the route the Windermere boys made from Carlisle to Windermere raising money over 75 years ago to continue fighting  racism and  intolerance.

“It is a story from the past, told in the present, with lessons for us all for the future.” Trevor Avery

“A powerful and moving novel, following meticulous research and with the support of the Lake District Holocaust Project” Jewish News

Interview – the Images that Inspired my books: A KS2 History and Literacy Resource with the Historian Next Door

Thanks for this recent interview.  You can check it out here

https://historiannextdoor.co.uk/tom-palmer-on-the-images-that-inspired-his-books-a-ks2-history-and-literacy-resource/

Link literacy to this year’s Euro 2020! Please scroll down to access :

• A big thank you from Tom!
• signed certificate for following the story
• a free Football Reading Game
• a free live story to read in the classroom
• a free zoom event
• special films about reading for Wales & Scotland fans
• ordering a free poster pack
• buying signed books

Thank you!

Tom– along with the Roy of the Rovers team and the National Literacy Trust – would like to say a HUGE thank you to all your teachers, librarians and other adults for bringing this story to you.

And thank you to all of you for listening to it, reading it, voting and sending kind messages.

Huge congratulations to Italy. And well done to the England for what they achieved. Especially the five who stepped up to take penalties. They are legends.

We’ve really enjoyed this journey through EURO 2020 with you and would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families and happy and healthy summer holiday.

Signed Certificate for following this year’s live story

As a thank you please click on this image or here to download a certificate for your school to commemorate following this year’s live story.

Football Reading Game free activity for your school

Watch this film in your classroom & test your knowledge in a special Euro 2020 version of my popular Football Reading Game?

COMING September 2021

The next book in the series, “Sudden Death” is out September 2021.

A new start means new challenges for Roy, Rocky, their family, and their teammates, and with their Dad’s condition getting worse, things aren’t about to get any easier both on and off the field…

Pre-order a signed and dedicated copy of Sudden Death now from my local independent bookshop here.

The series so far

1 Scouted – read Chapter 1 here
2 Teamwork – read Chapter 1 here
3 Playoffs – read Chapter 1 here
4 On Tour – read Chapter 1 here
5 From the Ashes – read Chapter 1 here
6 Rocky – read Chapter 1 here
7 Sudden Death – Out September 2021

Euro 2020 A Ghost Story 

EURO 2020: A Ghost Story is brought to you by the FA and National Literacy Trust from June 11th and July 7th  2021.

Published in 12 chapters, it is written the night before the morning of publication and is influenced by the events on the pitch as well as off the pitch at host venues.

School classrooms will be able to vote on storylines at least two times. It is aimed at Y4 to Y7, but could work for some Y3 and Y8 groups.

The basic idea for the story is that my Roy of the Rovers characters – brother and sister, Roy and Rocky Race – go to watch games across Europe. With Covid restrictions in place, they will ‘travel’ with the help of a friendly footballing ghost.

Read chapter 1 here now 

The remaining chapters will be published on the National Literacy Trust website here.

There is more on the FA website here: School Pack – UEFA EURO 2020 – Competitions | The Football Association (thefa.com)

And here : literacytrust.org.uk/news/we-invite-pupils-to-follow-tom-palmers-uefa-euro-2020-inspired-live-story-as-tournament-unfolds-and-participate-in-new-reading-challenge/

Watch me reading chapter 1 below

Find out more about the Roy of the Rovers series here.

Zoom Event

Thanks everyone who took part in the FREE virtual schools zoom event with the National Literacy Trust for Euro2020 event on 11 June 2021!

Poster packs

If you would like more information, a special signed Roy of the Rover poster pack and/or a reminder about when the LIVE Euro 2020 story starts, please fill in the order form below:

A special film about football reading for Wales fans

A special film about football reading for Scotland fans

My other football books

I’ve also written …

My First Football Game

The Penalty

Secret FC

Football Academy series

Foul Play series

Defenders series

Wings series

Ghost Stadium

Over the Line

So check out them out for more free resources

Watch Rocky & Roy’s whistlestop tour of 5 football clubs – do they visit your team?

Buy the Books

Signed and dedicated copies available from my local independent bookshop, Book Corner Halifax here.

1 Scouted – read Chapter 1 here
2 Teamwork – read Chapter 1 here
3 Playoffs – read Chapter 1 here
4 On Tour – read Chapter 1 here
5 From the Ashes – read Chapter 1 here
6 Rocky – read Chapter 1 here
7 Sudden Death – Out September 2021

Pre-order a signed and dedicated copy of Sudden Death now from my local independent bookshop here.

Schools bumper book pack and class set offers here.

Visit my  bookshop  or support your local bookshop HIVE

Thank you.

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