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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4 March 2021

I am delighted to be working with Anne Frank Trust on this World Book Day event exclusively for primary school students in the UK.

More information and book here.

You are invited to join Mirla G. Raz and Tom Palmer on Thursday 13 January to talk about his new children’s book “After the War-from Auschwitz to Ambleside”.

3 pm MST US and 10 pm GMT.

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

For Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 please click here.

For Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 plans please sign up on the contact form here.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 Resources :

I hope my book “After the War – from Auschwitz to Ambleside” and these virtual and streamable resources will help schools, libraries and families mark Holocaust Memorial Day –  Wednesday, 27 January 2021. (The Win a class set competition has ended, see below). I am extremely grateful for the support of the National Literacy Trust, UCL Centre for Holocaust Education, Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Lake District Holocaust Project and other partners to bring these to you.

The FREE resources include :

1. ” The Question” a five-part story to read in school  with the National Literacy Trust (available in written format 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 ).
   

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2. a pre-recorded 20 minute assembly for Y5 to Y8, talking about why we mark Holocaust Memorial Day with the National Literacy Trust (available now here).
   

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3. a series of films about developing writing and worksheets to support and inspire pupils to write their own responses with the National Literacy Trust (available now here).
   

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4. Friday, 29 January 10.30 am
   Facebook live Q&A event with me, hosted by the National Literacy Trust and a chance to hear from a Holocaust survivor who will be joining us. (Register now here.)

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5. a resource pack created around “After the War” by UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. Containing lesson plans and materials for KS3 History, RS, Cit and Eng (available now here ).
   

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6. a CPD session hosted by UCL and myself relating to “After the War” (booking  open now here).
   

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7. an interview with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust about listening to survivor testimonies (available now here and here)
   

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8. Blackout Poetry Challenge includes how to guide, examples, text and certificate, here.
   

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9. After the War posters and bookmarks posted to your school or library (please click here to email us your contact details).
   

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10. More downloadable resources including films of my research, book trailer, glossary and a student workbook are available here www.tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war

“The Question” is a five-part read aloud story will be set in the present day about the visit of a Holocaust survivor to a UK school and how the children prepare and reflect on the experience. The survivor will be Yossi, one of the main characters from “After the War”, 75 years on from his liberation, age 91. The story will be from the point of view of the pupils and will be aimed at Y5 to Y8. It is not essential to have read “After the War” beforehand (but you can read Chapter 1 of the book for free here  https://www.tompalmer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/After-the-War_chapter-sample.pdf . There is more about it here: https://tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war/

There are many ways to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 using HMD Together, a set of resources designed to enable people to mark the day in meaningful ways with other people – even if you can’t gather together in person.

On Holocaust Memorial Day, join the nation in Lighting the Darkness. Light a candle and put it in your window at 8pm on 27 January to:

• remember those who were murdered for who they were
• stand against hatred and prejudice today

Please don’t forget to join in on the national Holocaust Memorial Day map by simply adding your assemblies, readalouds, lessons and activities here: https://www.hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/activities-form/

And here are some very quick extracts to share from an interview I did with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, introducing my book After the War and about the importance of survivor testimonies.

30 November 6-7.30 pm  

I am excited to be taking part in a special online event hosted by the British Association for Holocaust Studies with Trevor Avery of Lake District Holocaust Project and Helen McCord of the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education.

FREE Tickets here

More events here

More about After the War here

Join me and Sufiya Ahmed on 4 November talking about about bravery, the importance of history and the true stories told in our  Second World War books.  Save your spot on Crowdcast here.

More events here

Buy Books

Buy After the War here

Schools bumper book pack and class set offers here.

Visit my  bookshop  or support your local bookshop HIVE

Overseas : FREE Delivery worldwide from The Book Depository.
Australia: Boomerang   
Canada: Amazon Canada
New Zealand: Wheelers       
USA :  Indigo books

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

Thank you.

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This is a screenshot of my autumn term e-newsletter.  For the full version with all working links please sign up for my e-newsletter (which comes out just 3 times a year) here.

This terms news is all about my new resources and my new children’s book “After the War : from Auschwitz to Ambleside.”  Read Chapter 1 NOW.  

“The best children’s fiction book I’ve yet read about the Holocaust. After The War manages to be vividly engaging both as history education and as a human story – eye-opening, exciting, hugely touching. Beautifully structured and written it may be aimed at 9-14 year-olds, but no-one should miss it” CEO Anne Frank Trust UK

And I’ve been working on a range of FREE resources that schools and families can access virtually. I hope you find some of them useful.

With very best wishes

Tom

Tom Palmer is the author of 50 KS2 and KS3 books for children including three Puffin series. Foul Play was shortlisted for the 2009 Blue Peter Book Award. Armistice Runner has recently won 6 prizes including the national FCBG Children’s Book Award 2019 and was nominated for THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL and 16 other UK prizes. D-Day Dog about the D-Day paratrooper Emile Corteil and his dog Glen, has been listed for 13 UK prizes and has won the Portsmouth Year 5 Book of the Year Award, the James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award and the Warwickshire Junior Book of the Year Award.

Tom is the recipient of the 2019 Ruth Rendell Award for Services to Literacy by the National Literacy Trust.

For the past few years I have asked teachers and librarians to nominate children they think would benefit from the gift of a book for Christmas. My family and I would like to do the same for Christmas 2020.

Our idea is to work with teachers and librarians to help us gift books to children who do not have any books at home; to children who need that one special book that could help engage them with a lifetime of reading for pleasure; or, to children who have had a difficult year at school or home and a book would be a boost for them. Sadly, there will many such children this year.

Each book will be personally dedicated, signed, gift-wrapped and will come with a Christmas card from me. Those nominating can choose from any of my books for children.

The Christmas card will have this year’s illustration by the wonderful James Innerdale.

If you’d like to nominate a child, please email the following information to admin@tompalmer.co.uk by Friday 27th November 2020:

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 the books listed at https://tompalmer.co.uk/about-tom/books-for-children/.
4. your name and school address (where I will send the book)

I am sorry, we cannot promise to send a book to every child nominated. I have set an upper limit of 50. But I will send a personal Christmas card to each nominee and a poster pack for each school.

My family and I will choose the recipients and have the books dispatched to schools in the first week of December 2020.

(For more information about special offer schools book packs, FREE signed bookplates and signed books to purchase as gifts see here. )

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

For Remembrance Day 2022 click here

To help schools mark Remembrance Day 20220 and link it to developing literacy in the classroom, I am offering a range of FREE resources for schools to use throughout the week, based around my books Over the Line, D-Day Dog, Armistice Runner and the Wings RAF series.

Here is a pre-recorded twenty-minute assembly aimed at KS2 and KS3 for use in the hall or for schools to stream throughout classrooms, where I will talk about the real First and Second World War soldiers, airmen and women and sailors that have inspired the characters in my books.

There will be also be a live online FACEBOOK Q&A session on the afternoon of 11th November 1.30-2.30 p.m. from here : https://www.facebook.com/tompalmerauthor/  You can submit questions for me to answer by emailing admin@tompalmer.co.uk up until 10th  November or on the day.

All my other FREE WW1 and WW2 literacy resources are available from here:
https://tompalmer.co.uk/first-world-war-literacy-resources/
or here:
https://tompalmer.co.uk/second-world-war-literacy-resources/
and they include :

• Be a Trench Runner memory challenge game for the school hall.
• Black out poetry sheets with instructions and certificates.
• 10 discussion points about war for Y5 to Y9.
• Book cover prediction sheets with questions encouraging the children to think about what a book might be about.
• Downloadable posters.
• First chapters of all my historical fiction books.
• Videos about the settings of my books, filmed at the Somme and on the D-Day beaches.
• Remembrance Day 2020 Literacy Certificate
• And much much more.

You can find our more about each of my books here:
Over the Line 
Armistice Runner
Wings Series
D-Day Dog
as well as more about what I am currently writing about the Arctic Convoys here.

Rosemary Hill Books is offering a special rate for  schools to  purchase multiples of these books:

• 15 copies £83 (20%+)
• 30 copies at £157 (25%+)
• 100 copies at £489 (35%+)

You can contact Rosemary direct at rosie@rosemaryhillbooks.co.uk.

For additional information and for reminder emails with links to the free online events please contact admin@tompalmer.co.uk.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS