What’s on offer World Book Day and Spring 2025

• Meet Me!
• My Rocky Takes the Lead £1 World Book Day book
• My World Book Day writing journey films – how I write
• World Book Day Dress up ideas and resources
• 27 March 2025 – NEW Soccer Diaries Book 3: Rocky Goes for Goal
• Signed Books for Easter
• Author Visit options and availability
• How to subscribe to my newsletter by email 
• 11 September 2025 – War Dog – a Historical non-fiction picture book Out 
• September 2025 – a  new Sporting Fiction trilogy Book 1  COMING SOON
• LATEST Angel of Grasmere resources FREE posters and resources
• All year round FREE Football fiction resources – posters and certificates

Meet Me!

Saturday 8 March 2025 Oxford Story Museum
Saturday 15 March 2025  Words by the Water Festival, Keswick
Saturday 29 March 2025 Thoughtful Spot, Halifax
Sunday 11 May 2025 Imperial War Museum North

More details here

6 March 2025 – World Book Day – Exciting news!

I have written a new Rocky story which has been selected as one of the books you can choose with your World Book Day 2025 vouchers.

In Rocky Takes the Lead – will Rocky be able to take the lead and show both her British and her American friends that they’re all united by football?

Available from February 2025 for World Book Day – 6 March 2025
£1 / E1.50 or your WBD voucher

• Take a peek inside now!
• Watch me introduce the book now!

More about Rocky here

More about World Book Day 2025 here

My World Book Day Writing Journey

I’ve been making a video diary to share my writing journey from idea to the finished book for you to follow here

1. Getting a book deal
2. Reading other books
3. Researching
4. Planning
5. Writing my first draft
6. Finishing the first draft
7. Editing
8. Responding to feedback
9. The news is out

Watch now here …

6 March 2025 – World Book Day

Dress up ideas for all my books here https://tompalmer.co.uk/world-book-day/

And lots more free resources here

• introductory powepoint
• posters
• colouring
• classroom reads
• films
• reading certificates

More here

27 March 2025 – NEW Soccer Diaries
Book 3: Rocky Goes for Goal

Can Rocky Race lead her team to victory?

Now that Rocky has her grades under control, she can focus on the most important thing: she is going to the California Soccer Championships! With only weeks to go until the big match, Rocky is starting to… get nervous? But she never gets scared before a match! So why is she having nightmares, and dreading training after school? Everyone is counting on her, and she knows that winning the championship gives her a better chance of going pro. With so much pressure, will Rocky be able to step up and take the winning shot?

Book 3 in The Soccer Diaries series starring Rocky Race, a British footballer looking to make it big.

More here

Signed Books for Easter 

Books can be simply signed by me or using their website you can specify a message like “To Nadiya, Happy Easter” for me to add.

2025 Author visits options and availability 

I am available for author visits both in person, pre-records and virtual from June 2025 linking to …

• a focus on Historical Fiction
• my Football Reading Game
• my Rugby Reading Game
• talks about Fair Trade
• writing workshops
• shorter  sessions for pupils with SEND
• assemblies
• presentations
• workshops
• virtual visits
• writing-history-with-the-imperial-war-museum

• More about my author visits here

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SPOTLIGHT ON MY LATEST publication
“Angel of Grasmere:from Dunkirk to the Fells”
By Tom Palmer Published NOW by Barrington Stoke.

July 1940 – Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk and she and her friends scour the hills around their Westmorland home, watching for any signs of the long-dreaded Nazi invasion.

But as the war drags on, with little good news from the front, the locals become aware of someone carrying out anonymous acts of kindness. With no one claiming credit, the village come to think of this unidentified stranger as a kind of guardian angel, but when his identity is finally revealed can Tarn come to terms with the truth…?

Links – Effect of war on countryside, Evacuees,Bombing of cities –  Manchester,Bombing of Ports- Barrow in Furness, evacuation of Allied forces from the French port of Dunkirk in 1940, Battle of Britain,Rivers.

Free resources HERE … tompalmer.co.uk/angel-of-grasmere/

• • Trailer https://youtu.be/BAwGDDuNRHk
  • Tom’s writer’s scrapbook
  • Tom’s writer’s diary
  • Interview with Tom
  • A cover prediction set of worksheets
  • Angel paper dolls activity
  • Settings map worksheet
  • Playscript

“In the darkest of days, that’s when the miracles begin”

FREE Poster packs available on request from here. 

Download high-res posters by clicking on the images below:

Out 11 September 2025

I will have a new children’s historical non-fiction picture book out in September.  War Dog is a very special illustrated true story about Judy hero of the Second World War.

• More here tompalmer.co.uk/war-dog/ 
• Sign up for previews here tompalmer.co.uk/new-writing/
• Pre-order now Amazon
• Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot”  here.

COMING SOON – a Sporting Fiction trilogy

Book 1 out September 2025

• Sign up for previews here tompalmer.co.uk/new-writing/
• Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot”  here.

All year round FREE Football fiction resources – posters and certificates

I have FREE certificates I can sign for readers of all my books.

• Football Academy
• Foul Play
• Roy and Rocky of the Rovers
• My History Books

Tell me here if your pupils have read a whole series and you can receive a special signed certificate to present to them.

If you would like a football poster pack please visit my poster order page here 

More football resources here

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!

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

Visit my bookshop or support your local bookshop HIVE

Schools bumper 33 book pack offer here

33 books
£194 saving £63 – over 25% discount
FREE DELIVERY & SIGNED BOOKPLATES

Please email rosie@rosemaryhillbooks.co.uk

Schools class set offer here.

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.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

“We Will Tell Your Stories” marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.   FREE resources suitable for every school to use around Holocaust Memorial Day.

They are designed to inspire young people to create non-fiction historical writing based on true and powerful stories from the Holocaust and life after liberation.

“a great deal of thought, care, and effort has gone into creating something truly meaningful, playing a vital role in keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive and ensuring its lessons are passed on to future generations.” Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

They draw inspiration from the testimony of five women and men including Jewish, Roma and Sinti and LGBT+ people – victims and survivors of the Nazis between 1939 and 1945.

My “We Will Tell Your Stories” writing scrapbook …

My 2025 film on writing a story about a Holocaust survivor …

With huge thanks to Paul Hill@manshedfilms

This year’s resources include …

• a new high-quality film recorded at locations, including the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, intended to guide children through the process of writing a story about a Holocaust survivor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQdmSL8ePMw
• new resources created by the National Literacy Trust guiding the children through that writing process: https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/holocaust-memorial-day/
• my “We Will Tell Your Stories” writing scrapbook that can be used as an inspiration or raw material.  see above
• a live virtual event with genocide survivors from the National Literacy Trust and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on Monday 27 January . Catch up here https://youtu.be/R0J7-tzFSUw
• a new Auschwitz Survivor Story by me: https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/holocaust-memorial-day/
• 50% off class sets of After the War with UCL form here
• a certificate to present to students for their work here

My 2025 resources are available with the support of partners including:

• the Lake District Holocaust Project
• UCL Centre for Holocaust Education
• the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
• the National Literacy Trust

And for the very first time I am working with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum who supported my filming and research.

Get 50% off class sets of 30 copies of After the War from Auschwitz to Ambleside” for  £119.85 (RRP £239.70) plus P&P £4.95 with UCL using this form here

For updates and reminders for Holocaust Memorial Day, please fill in the form below. 

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Available all year round are the first chapters of Tom’s award-winning children’s historical fiction, “After the War – from Auschwitz to Ambleside” here https://tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war/.

And you might also be interested in Tom’s blog for The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre about his children’s historical fiction, “After the War – from Auschwitz to Ambleside” https://holocaustlearning.org.uk/latest/after-the-war-writing-about-the-holocaust/

Tom’s resources from previous Holocaust Memorial Days are still accessible below including …

• a five part story about the late Michael Novice – a man who survived Auschwitz and went on to work for @NASA and design the camera that showed us man walking on the moon. In memory of an extraordinary man.
• a five part story of a sister and brother reunion after the end of the war.  Of Mala Tribich MBE & the Late Sir Ben Helfgott, reunited after surviving the Nazi concentration camps.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2024

Our 2024 resources were available with partners including UCL Centre for Holocaust Education and the National Literacy Trust:

• a webinar with the Historical Association
• a Free 5 part story
• an online Q&A event with Mala Tribich

Wednesday 17 January 2024 CPD Webinar 4-5pm
As author of “After the War – from Auschwitz to Ambleside”, I took part in a webinar with the Historical Association and the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education – “Making the most out of Holocaust Memorial Day: challenges and opportunities”.

Monday 22 -26 January 2024 FREE 5 part story to read aloud
This year’s story to be read in the week prior to Holocaust Memorial Day is the true tale of a sister and brother reunion after the end of the war.  Of Mala Tribich MBE & the Late Sir Ben Helfgott, reunited after surviving the Nazi concentration camps. (Mala was in Sweden and Ben in London.)  The Late Sir Ben Helfgott was one of the inspirations for Tom’s acclaimed “After the War from Auschwitz to Ambleside” about the three hundred child concentration camp survivors who came to the Lake District nearly 75 years ago (known as the Windermere Boys) is available with lots of FREE resources to support it.  (More here www.tompalmer.co.uk/after-the-war/)  

Download the story here or watch Tom reading the story here.

Friday 26 January 2024 – 09:30 to 10:15 online Q&A event
Mala Tribich joined me in a virtual event for schools to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

Catch up now here …

Here’s a recap of my resources for Holocaust Memorial Day 2023

Thanks to generous funding support from the Marks Family Charitable Trust, the Association of Jewish Refugees and The Blue Thread, we teamed up with the National Literacy Trust to produce free resources for use in the classroom or at home, to help schools commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

The resources were designed to be used for use with students aged 10 to 14 (Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3) and are available from here literacytrust.org.uk/resources/holocaust-memorial-day/

• A certificate for you to present for student work here

• My story “Small Steps” written specially for Holocaust Memorial Day.  “Small Steps” is the 5 part read aloud true story (using survivor and family testimonies) about Michael Novice. He is one of the Windermere children – a Holocaust survivor who went on to help build the camera that filmed the first man on the moon here.  

Update from Tom 26 September 2024 “Over the years I have written stories for children based around the lives of some extraordinary people. Today I learned of the passing of the most remarkable. This is Michael Novice. A man who survived Auschwitz and went on to play a part in the moon landings. I worked with @HolocaustLake  and Michael Novice’s family to tell the story of this Holocaust survivor who came to the UK as a refugee and – after studying physics – went on to work for @NASA  and design the camera that showed us man walking on the moon. for the first time. In memory of an extraordinary man. Thank you.”

• My assembly introducing the story and showing you a very special rock from the Moon…

• Watch me read the story here by a model of Apollo 11 …

• A PowerPoint presentation, to introduce the story and resources to students
• Five videos and five worksheets to support and inspire pupils to write their own responses
• A teacher guide with ideas and sources to support your delivery and children’s writing
• A free online Q&A event with me interviewing Mala Tribich, a Holocaust survivor on 27 January 2023 catch up now 

Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 recap

Here is a recap of what we organised in previous years with partners including The National Literacy Trust , The Anne Frank Trust and The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre :

• “Them” – a NEW FREE 5 part read aloud story written specially for Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 by Tom Palmer – suggested 1 chapter a day that week here
• 5 short films and worksheets to support “Them” story and inspire pupils to write their own responses
• 5 short films of Tom reading out loud “Them” available from here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmmlG7jutI-3APJWgcsvPSQ5k-LbrZ9zE
• A teacher guide with ideas and sources to support your delivery of “Them” and children’s writing
• FREE pre-recorded 10 minute video assembly Year 5-9 presentation from Tom about why it is important to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

• Years 5+6 Anne Frank Trust online Q&A event with Holocaust survivor Harry Olmer in conversation with Tom Palmer.  Catch up now

•  Years 5-9 National Literacy Trust online Q&A event  with Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich in conversation with Tom Palmer.  Catch up now

• “Why testimony should be at the heart of any Holocaust story” a blog for The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre.  https://holocaustlearning.org.uk/latest/after-the-war-writing-about-the-holocaust/

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 Recap :

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 :

“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 here ). “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 is 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/  

Watch Tom read The Question here

Watch our pre-recorded 20 minute assembly for Y5 to Y8, talking about why we mark Holocaust Memorial Day with the National Literacy Trust

Watch a series of films about developing writing and worksheets to support and inspire pupils to write their own responses with the National Literacy Trust

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. Catch up and watch here … https://www.facebook.com/nationalliteracytrust/videos/258035889106033

Poppy Scotland Facebook Live Holocaust Memorial Day 2021

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 ).

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

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

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

Thank you

I’d like to say a big thank you everyone who has used these resources.  We have been asked for a signed certificate for schools to present to pupils for their Holocaust Memorial Day work.  If you would like to use this one you are very welcome download here. 

Use these resources this Christmas time based on Chapter 6 of Angel of Grasmere.   

Discover how young Tarn Fothergill celebrated Christmas Day 1940 with her family, farmer’s lad Peter, evacuee Eric, and Land girls Margaret and Kathleen.

And will the Angel of Grasmere perform a Christmas miracle?

Christmas Resources:

Film of Tom reading Chapter 6  from St Oswald’s church, this Christmas

Read chapter 6 here to share with the young people you work with or use the flip book below :

Christmas Craft Activity

Make a simple angel – try using hand prints or cut out for wings or paper plates or doilies.  Decorate it by writing on it the christmas miracle you would wish for this year.

Or use these Paper Angels to cut out here

Christmas Blackout Poem Challenge here

Includes a how to guide, suggested extracts   examples and a signed certificate.

Follow the story using the real Grasmere village trail map here – a special commemorative map with the key book locations through the village, beautifully illustrated by James Innerdale.

 

Angel of Grasmere Commemoration Special film

Dunkirk Anniversary – A Commemoration Special with Mr Dilly and Tom Palmer

Catch up now here

• Join Tom Palmer speaking on location from the beaches of Dunkirk and the Grasmere Fells
• Interview and conversation with Mr Dilly and Tom Palmer
• Watch footage of the Dunkirk evacuation
• Listen to pre-recorded interviews with some of the Dunkirk veterans

Book Trailer

For more Angel of Grasmere resources and to find about how Tom researched and wrote it click here.

More of my Christmas in Fiction

Resist

Arctic Star

Buy the Book

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.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

For over ten years I have asked teachers, TAs and librarians if they would be kind enough to nominate a child they think would benefit from the gift of a book for Christmas.

My family and I would like to do the same for Christmas 2024. 

The Christmas Books

Each book will be personally dedicated, signed, gift-wrapped and will come with a Christmas card from me.  The Christmas card will have this year’s exclusive illustration taking inspiration from one of my books by the wonderful Yorkshire artist James Innerdale.

I will send a personal Christmas card to each nominee and a poster pack for each school regardless of whether or not their application is sucessful.

The Children
Our idea is to work with schools and libraries to help us gift books to fifty children.  Short applications are invited from teachers, TAs and librarians, nominating children as follows:

• who have had a difficult year at school or home in the hope that a book would be a boost for them
• who do not have any books at home
• who one special book might help engage them with a lifetime of reading for pleasure.

Applying teachers, TAs and librarians are also asked to select which of my books for children they feel is most appropriate.

Their Privacy
All nominations will be kept in confidence and it is up to you exactly how privately you wish to give the books over.

You will be under no obligation to disclose to the child why they are receiving the book or to present it to them publicly.

The nomination process for applying adults
If you’d like to nominate a child, please email the following information as follows to admin@tompalmer.co.uk by Sunday 17th November 2024: 

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 (this will not be published and will be kept in full confidence)
3. your choice of book for them from one of my books listed at https://tompalmer.co.uk/about-tom/books-for-children/.
4. your name and school address (where I will send the book)

We will respond ASAP to all applications as soon as we can on receipt.  My family and I will choose the recipients and notify all applying teachers, TAs and librarians of the outcome by the end of November and we aim to have the books dispatched to schools in the first week of December 2024.

I am sorry, we cannot promise to send a book to every child nominated. We 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 regardless of whether or not their application is successful.

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

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.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

What’s on offer this term, Autumn 2024

SPOTLIGHT ON MY LATEST publication “Angel of Grasmere”
Remembrance Day 2024 – film and virtual event catch up 
Christmas Book Giving – pupil nominations
Signed Books for Christmas with FREE exclusive Christmas Card
Christmas in fiction : Angel of Grasmere
Christmas in fiction : Resist
Christmas in fiction : Arctic Star
2025 Author visits in person / virtual
27 January 2025 10 a.m – Holocaust Memorial Day event
6 March 2025 – World Book Day 2025
NEW Angel of Grasmere resources FREE posters and resources
All year round FREE Football fiction resources – posters and certificates

SPOTLIGHT ON MY LATEST publication
“Angel of Grasmere:from Dunkirk to the Fells”
By Tom Palmer Published NOW by Barrington Stoke.

July 1940 – Tarn struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved brother in the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk and she and her friends scour the hills around their Westmorland home, watching for any signs of the long-dreaded Nazi invasion.

But as the war drags on, with little good news from the front, the locals become aware of someone carrying out anonymous acts of kindness. With no one claiming credit, the village come to think of this unidentified stranger as a kind of guardian angel, but when his identity is finally revealed can Tarn come to terms with the truth…?

Links – Effect of war on countryside, Evacuees,Bombing of cities –  Manchester,Bombing of Ports- Barrow in Furness, evacuation of Allied forces from the French port of Dunkirk in 1940, Battle of Britain,Rivers.

Free resources available now … here tompalmer.co.uk/angel-of-grasmere/

• • Trailer https://youtu.be/BAwGDDuNRHk
  • Tom’s writer’s scrapbook
  • Tom’s writer’s diary
  • Interview with Tom
  • A cover prediction set of worksheets
  • Angel paper dolls activity
  • Settings map worksheet
  • Playscript

“In the darkest of days, that’s when the miracles begin”

Buy Signed copies here www.thethoughtfulspotbooks.com/tom-palmer-books

More here

Remembrance Day 2024 

My annual Remembrance Day film – Hundreds of Allied planes crashed in the countryside during the defence of Britain during the Second World War, some miles away from villages and roads, many hundreds of feet high up mountains and fells. Thousands of airmen were killed and severely injured. Many sites have memorials to those lost. Tom speaks from the site of one of these air crashes.  “At the going down of the sun and in the morning , we will remember them.” Laurence Binyon

Monday 11 November 2024 – Remembrance virtual event

10.20am – 11.05am with a two-minute silence to mark the Armistice

Art, music, poetry, veteran interviews creating a unique, interactive, live-streamed experience

Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3

Live Zoom webinar with National Literacy Trust and the Royal British Legion

Catch up now here …

More about Remembrance Day here

Christmas Book Giving

For over ten years I have asked teachers, TAs and librarians if they would be kind enough to nominate a child they think would benefit from the gift of a book for Christmas. My family and I would like to do the same for Christmas 2024.  Closing Date Sunday 17th November 2024

Find out how to and nominate a pupil here … https://tompalmer.co.uk/christmas-book-giving-2024/ 

Signed Books for Christmas with FREE exclusive Christmas Card 

Books can be simply signed by me or using their website you can specify a message like “To Nadiya, Happy Christmas” for me to add.

Christmas in Fiction : Angel of Grasmere

Discover how young Tarn Fothergill celebrated Christmas Day 1940 with her family, farmer’s boy Peter, evacuee Eric, and Land girls Margaret and Kathleen.

Christmas crafts, blackout poetry challenge, read the special Christmas chapter or watch Tom reading it all here.

Christmas in Fiction : Resist

Audrey Hepburn’s childhood story of resistance in the Second World War against the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands inspired my children’s book Resist. 

Silent Night is an extra special short story I have written about Audrey’s secret Christmas mission,

FREE to read or watch me read the story from here

More about Resist here

Christmas in fiction : Arctic Star

Discover how the young Royal Navy sailors celebrate Christmas Day 1943 aboard HMS Belfast in the Arctic Circle with dinner, carols and listening to the King’s Speech in my children’s book Arctic Star.

Use these resources based on the special ChristmasChapter 19 of Arctic Star. 

• Blackout poetry challenge
• Flip book to read Chapter 19
• Watch me reading chapter 19 aboard HMS Belfast

FREE to read, download or watch me read from here 

More about Arctic Star here 

2025 Author visits in person / virtual

I am available from January 2025 for historical fiction, football or rugby author events or linking to …

• Holocaust Memorial Day  (27 January 2025– 80^th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz)
• Six Nations (Rugby Reading Game) – begins 31 January 2025

More about my author visits here

Monday 27 January 2025 – Holocaust Memorial Day

Next year’s plans are already underway with a virtual event on Monday 27 January 2025 at 10 am with the National Literacy Trust and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and a film, story and writing challenge based around the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

More here

6 March 2025 – World Book Day – Exciting news!

I have written a new Rocky story which has been selected as one of the books you can choose with your World Book Day 2025 vouchers.

In Rocky Takes the Lead – will Rocky be able to take the lead and show both her British and her American friends that they’re all united by football?

Available from February 2025 for World Book Day – 6 March 2025
£1 / E1.50 or your WBD voucher

More about Rocky here

More about World Book Day 2025 here

NEW Angel of Grasmere resources

Free Chapter 1, Grasmere trail map, playscript, Herdwick Sheep Craft Activity and lots more literacy resources for the classroom available to download from here.

FREE Poster packs available on request from here. 

Download high-res posters by clicking on the images below:

All year round FREE Football fiction resources – posters and certificates

I have FREE certificates I can sign for readers of all my books.

• Football Academy
• Foul Play
• Roy and Rocky of the Rovers
• My History Books

Tell me here if your pupils have read a whole series and you can receive a special signed certificate to present to them.

If you would like a football poster pack please visit my poster order page here 

More football resources here

Please use this form to subscribe to future termly newsletters

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Please send me

• A termly newsletter for schools
• A reminder about Remembrance Day
• A reminder about Holocaust Memorial Day
• A reminder about World Book Day

School Name (if applicable)

Any additional message

Submit

Our replies are never automated so you will get a personal reply. Please be patient with us!

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!

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

Visit my bookshop or support your local bookshop HIVE

Schools bumper 33 book pack offer here

33 books
£194 saving £63 – over 25% discount
FREE DELIVERY & SIGNED BOOKPLATES

Please email rosie@rosemaryhillbooks.co.uk

Schools class set offer here.

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.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

This year’s resources follow below and you can keep up to date with reminders about what I am doing next year here…

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• An e-newsletter about Remembrance Day 2025

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This year’s Remembrance Sunday was marked on 10^th November, with Armistice Day on Monday 11^th November 2024.

To help schools mark the occasion and link it to developing literacy in the classroom, I offer these FREE resources for schools to use based around my books …

Signed certificate to present to pupils for their reading for pleasure or any achievements relating to Remembrance Day.

Download here

My annual Remembrance Day film – hundreds of Allied planes crashed in the countryside during the defence of Britain during the Second World War, some miles away from villages and roads, many hundreds of feet high up mountains and fells. Thousands of airmen were killed and severely injured. Many sites have memorials to those lost. Tom speaks from the site of one of these air crashes. “At the going down of the sun and in the morning , we will remember them.” Laurence Binyon
Monday 11 November 2024 –Remembrance virtual event

• 10.20am – 11.05am with a two-minute silence to mark the Armistice
• Art, music, poetry, veteran interviews creating a unique, interactive, live-streamed experience
• Upper Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3
• Live Zoom webinar with National Literacy Trust and the Royal British Legion

Catch up now here …

My books about various sections of the Armed Forces

• Royal Navy (Arctic Star)
• Army  (Over the Line, Armistice Runner and The Last Try)
• RAF (Flyboy, Spitfire, Typhoon and Rugby Academy).  
• the Reserves and Paratroopers D-Day Dog

Since 2019 the red poppy has paid tribute to civilian victims of war and “acts of terrorism”, alongside the armed forces.

Angel of Grasmere is set at the start of the Second World War in Britain featuring the chaos of the British retreat at Dunkirk and the fear of Nazi invasion for a group of three village and evacuee children in the Lake District.

Resist is my historical story for children about the impact on a homefront civilian occupation in WW2, based on the real Dutch Resistance experiences of Audrey Hepburn.

My books about both World Wars and children of today’s serving members of the Armed Forces :  

• First World War – Read  Over the Line,  Flyboy and Armistice Runner
• Second World War – Read Resist, Spitfire, D-Day Dog, Arctic Star, After the War and Angel of Grasmere
• 21^st century Armed Forces – Typhoon, D-Day Dog

More WW1 Literacy Resources are available from here: tompalmer.co.uk/first-world-war-literacy-resources/

• First chapters of all my historical fiction books.
• 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.

More WW2 Literacy Resources are available from here: tompalmer.co.uk/second-world-war-literacy-resources/

• 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.

• D-Day Dog Blackout Poem Challenge Introduction and how to guide to create your own Blackout Poems, including suggested texts, examples and a certificate. Download here

Here’s a recap of materials from 2023.

• an assembly message for KS2 and KS3.  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.  It is for use in the hall or for schools to stream throughout classrooms.

• “The Barnbow Lasses” – a  FREE 3 part readaloud story with resources.  Download here. 

And you can read this great blog from Amy McKinlay, P1-3 teacher at Kettins Primary School …  How to make Remembrance Day memorable in the classroom – Scottish Book Trust

2022 Remembrance message about the  First and Second World War soldiers, airmen and women and sailors – from across the Commonwealth – that have inspired the characters in my books, particularly from India and Canada : 
My 2021 Remembrance message filmed from the Arctic Convoy War Memorial at Liverpool Parish Church

My 2020 Remembrance message filmed from my local war memorial about the real soldiers, sailors and airman who inspired my books:

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.

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

Visit my  bookshop  or support your local bookshop HIVE

Schools bumper 33 book pack
offer here

33 books
£194 saving £63 – over 25% discount
FREE DELIVERY & SIGNED BOOKPLATES

Please email rosie@rosemaryhillbooks.co.uk

Schools class set offer here.

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.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

Fairtrade Fortnight will take place from 22 September to 5 October 2025

Fairtrade Fortnight is a great opportunity to get children thinking about where they spend their money and the difference that choice can make other people’s lives.  My children’s book “Off Side” is about fairtrade, trafficking and football.

Keep up to date with reminders about what I am doing this year by completing the form below

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Please send mea signed Fairtrade poster by postupdates about Fairtrade Fortnightdetails about Tom's fairtrade school visits

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Poster packs

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Fairtrade Fiction : Off Side

“Off Side” is about fairtrade, trafficking and football.

The hero of my children’s book Offside, is a boy called Kofi, who – as well as being a gifted footballer – is the son of cocoa bean farmers in Ghana.

At the beginning of the Off Side, Kofi’s family were being cheated and not paid a fair amount for their beans.

By the end they had become part of the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative which supplies chocolate manufacturers Divine.

I was very lucky, when in Ghana researching my novel Offside, that Divine took me to meet some farmers and to Akomaden School which is directly paid for by our buying Fairtrade Chocolate.

I have seen how the choice we make to buy Fairtrade chocolate improves lives: children being well-schooled, families learning to run their own businesses and  improved homes and healthcare.

Fairtrade Fortnight Resources

Free Fairtrade schools’ pack

Read Chapter One here.  

Virtual Fairtrade visits

I offer virtual and in-person school visits to talk about fair trade, reading, writing and football, linked to my book – Off Side – about a sixteen year old son of a cocoa farmer who is trafficked from Ghana to England, thinking he is going to be a famous footballer.  Having seen at first hand the difference it makes, I try to choose Fair Trade where I can.

Find out more about my Fairtrade visits here .

Football Trafficking

Off Side also looks at people trafficking, particularly the exploitation of young footballers from Africa.

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.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY                            TERMS & CONDITIONS

After the War (Barrington Stoke) Tom “This is the story of 300 children, Holocaust survivors who came to live in Cumbria in 1945, direct from the concentration camps of Europe. It is based on survivor testimonies”

D-Day Dog (Barrington Stoke)  

Tom “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)

Tom “This 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)

Tom “This 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.”

“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.”

Refugee Week June 2023

“Boat People” with the National Literacy Trust includes :

• 5 very short stories about people who have had to escape danger by boat, set in the years 1914, 1943, 1975, 2010 and today

Available in print to read aloud from here

Or to watch being read aloud by me from here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmmlG7jutI-1sTB2jvWewnZQBc-eQlddq

• an introductory assembly (15 minutes long) from me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzUXr-o3g9M
• 5 writing exercises delivered by video, relating to the stories and the theme of refugees, with worksheets for the children here
• a teachers’ guide here
• Combined powerpoint very kindly shared by Penketh High  of all the writing exercises for lesson time here.  

Certificate for your school or classroom or for individual work
Download here

Refugee Week 2022

Watch Now “NLT Refugee Week virtual event: In Conversation with Tom Palmer”  recorded from 20 June 2022 here

Certificate to share with your pupils here.

“The Girl in the Lewandowski Top” – is a FREE 5 part story about a Ukrainian Refugee in 2022 with teacher guide and worksheets. This was written for Refugee Week 2022 for the National Literacy Trust but can be used all year round.

• • • Read “The Girl in the Lewandowski Top” here
    • Teacher Guide here
    • Worksheets here

“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
      

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“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 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.

EDIT

Discover more about Angel of Grasmere here