Summer News 2025

What’s on offer Summer 2025 – scroll down for more or click on these quick links …

March 2025 Angel of Grasmere wins York Book award
27 March 2025 NEW Soccer Diaries 3: Rocky Goes for Goal here
1 May Book Clubs in Schools Day Sign up here
8 May VE Day 2025 – NEW resources here
12 May 2025 virtual with Dorothy Wordsworth Trust Book here
19 May 2025 virtual with Anne Frank Trust Book here
12 June 2025 Empathy day more
16-22 June 2025 Refugee week resource and my books more
July 2025 onwards Summer Reading Challenge – more here
July Women’s Euro’s virtual event with Mr Dilly – more info to come
7 Aug NEW Liverpool’s Greatest Moments non-fiction more here
September 2025 onwards – author visit availability – in person or virtual. KS1 , KS2, KS3 options. Teacher training options more here

NEW Writing

I have several new books coming out in 2025 …

25 Feb – Rocky Takes the Lead – a new Rocky story for World Book Day more here
27 March – Soccer Diaries Book 3: Rocky Goes for Goal more here
7 Aug – Liverpool’s Greatest Moments more here
11 Sept – The Fear Book 1 of The Underdogs, a new sporting trilogy more here
11 Sept – War Dog – a WW2 non-fiction picture book more here
8 Jan 2026 – Front Foot – Book 2 The Underdogs Out
May 26 – a new WW2 trilogy set in the South West of England more here

NEW Rocky Goes for Goal – Book 3 Soccer Diaries

Can Rocky Race lead her team to victory? Book 3 in The Soccer Diaries series starring Rocky Race, a British footballer looking to make it big.

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?

OUT NOW More here

Spring 2025 Angel of Grasmere wins York Book award

Thank you York young readers for your enthusiasm and support of my writing. I was thrilled to receive this award.

Thursday 1 May 2025 Book Clubs in Schools Day

Congratulations to Book Clubs in Schools on your 10th birthday and for reaching 40,000 young people! I am delighted to have been asked to help with the celebrations in an online event for Years 4-7 from 11-12.

Sign up here

Thursday 8 May 2025-80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day Friday 15 August 2025

Join in the many ways to mark the occasion both nationally and locally. Mark them at home and in the classroom using my books:

After the War – VE Day
War Dog – VJ Day

and these special resources here

Monday 12 May 2025 Virtual with Wordsworth Grasmere

2 – 3pm online (via Zoom)
For students in Years 5 – 8
£40 per class

How my latest book – Angel of Grasmere – was inspired by my love of Dorothy Wordsworth’s writing and the village of Grasmere where she lived with her brother, the poet, William.
How I wanted the book’s main character, Tarn, to love Dorothy too.
How I use scrapbooks to develop characters and settings.
how one author can be so inspired by another who wrote 200 years ago!
Live from Wordsworth Grasmere, their Head Curator will give you a sneak peek at Dorothy’s original journal, kept in our special library and archive at Dove Cottage.
Q&A time to ask me about my writing

Places limited – to book your place email the Wordsworth Grasmere Education Team at education@wordsworth.org.uk

Monday 19 May 2025 virtual with Anne Frank Trust FREE

A chance for your young people to connect live with me, reflect on the power or story telling and writing for challenging prejudice. We will be exploring my books on a range of themes including WW2 and the Holocaust particularly my new book Angel of Grasmere.

Book Now here

Thursday 12 June 2025 is Empathy Day!

I am thrilled that Angel of Grasmere is part of this year’s @EmpathyLabUK collection.

Watch my film for Empathy lab here

More about Empathy day here

16-22 June 2025 Refugee week

Many of my books feature child refugees.

From After the War-the story of 300 children, Holocaust survivors who came to live in Cumbria in 1945 to refugees arriving today.

Find out more about them and more free resources here

July 2025 onwards Summer Reading Challenge

I am delighted that Angel of Grasmere has been chosen as one of the official books linked to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.

Watch my film and more resources here

July Women’s Euro’s virtual event with Mr Dilly

More info to come …

7 Aug Publication Date

Liverpool- Ultimate Football Heroes: Greatest Moments Generations NEW non-fiction

Discover one hundred of the most memorable moments in Liverpool F.C’s history from the No.1 football series selected by me!

Featuring the 2022 FA Cup win, the 2005 Miracle of Istanbul, Liverpool’s first division title in 1947, the 2006 “Gerrard Final”, and the ongoing Hillsborough Justice Campaign, this is a treasury for fans of all ages.

More here

September 2025 onwards – author visit availability – in person or virtual. KS1 , KS2, KS3 options. Teacher training options

I am available from Autumn 2025 for historical fiction, football or rugby author events or linking to any of my books!

More about my author visits here

“The impact of last year’s visit was massive and has really helped us develop reading with our current year 6 group. In reading surveys and discussions your books always get a mention and are still read by a lot of the year group.” Green Lane Primary School

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Autumn Preview

War Dog – a Historical non-fiction picture book

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.

Autumn Preview – The Fear Book 1 of The Underdogs, a new sporting fiction trilogy

Book 1 out 11 September 2025

More about The Fear here
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.

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.