“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.
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.
The 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 below : https://tompalmer.co.uk/holocaust-memorial-day/
- a live virtual event with genocide survivors from the National Literacy Trust and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on Monday 27 January 10 am . REGISTER NOW here https://literacytrust.org.uk/events/holocaust-memorial-day-event/
- 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
My “We Will Tell Your Stories” writing scrapbook …
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.
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 …
And please share your HMD Activity on the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust map here https://www.hmd.org.uk/take-part-in-holocaust-memorial-day/activities-form/
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/
- 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).
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).
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.)
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 ).
a CPD session hosted by UCL and myself relating to “After the War” (booking open 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.
“After the War” is suitable as a class read for children in Y6 and above.
Find out more about After the War here.
More downloadable resources including films of my research, book trailer, glossary and a student workbook here.
‘We will continue to do our bit for as long as we can, secure in the knowledge that others will continue to light a candle long after us.’
Gena Turgel, survivor of the Holocaust (1923-2018)
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With an extra special Christmas or birthday card from me on request!
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My books are all available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” 
The exclusive illustration was designed by our good friend James Innerdale to mark the publication of Angel of Grasmere.
Discover how young Tarn Fothergill celebrated Christmas Day 1940 with her family and friends – 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 
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. 
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.
Blackout poetry challenge
I have FREE certificates I can sign for readers of all my books.
Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available personalised to order from my local independent children’s bookshop “The Thoughtful Spot” 
Overseas :
Schools class set offer 
Use these resources this Christmas time based on Chapter 6 of Angel of Grasmere. 
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.
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. 
Christmas Book Giving 
My books about various sections of the Armed Forces
“The Barnbow Lasses” – a FREE 3 part readaloud story with resources. Download 
Schools bumper 33 book pack 
Schools class set offer
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.
If you would like a special Fairtrade signed poster pack please fill in the order form below:
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.
I offer virtual and in-person school visits to talk about fair trade, reading, writing and football, linked to my book – 
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”
og (Barrington Stoke) 
Pitch Invasion (Barrington Stoke)
Schools bumper book pack and class set offers 
