Posted on 20th Dec
Author Tom Percival visited year 7 students at Magnus Church of England Academy in Newark to talk about his career and ideas behind his latest book, The Wrong Shoes.
Tom said: “Its core is about resilience and overcoming challenge — of not giving up, even when things feel impossible.
“It’s about trying to make the right choices, whatever challenges you are experiencing.”
Tom also spoke to students about pursuing their own dreams, adding: “It doesn’t matter if it’s music, writing, or football — it takes effort, and it is hard to get good at anything.
“So, we talked about the importance of resilience, of failing, and improving on your failures. That mindset is applicable to almost everything you face in life, not just work skills, but also friendships and relationships or hobbies.
“I really hope my talk inspires students not only to develop resilience, but also to develop a love of reading and of engaging with books.”
Academy assistant principal Sarah Harper added: “At Magnus we value the impact reading can have on our students. It’s so important that they get the opportunity to hear from a published author, to understand what inspired them, see where that creativity stems from, and where that creativity can lead.”
All year 7 students received a copy of Tom’s book, courtesy of the academy, and had the chance to get it signed.
The author said: “It’s a wonderful idea that Magnus gift a book to every year 7 student. I do a lot of work with the National Literacy Trust, and a key objective is accessibility to books, and for everyone to have books within their reach. It is a huge part of encouraging children to read.”
Heather Jackson, Magnus Learning Resource Centre manager, said: “We are delighted to once again present our Year 7 students with a book, with the hope that it inspires them to continue reading throughout their journey at Magnus.
“Our gift of a book celebrates the importance of reading in a student’s journey. It helps them grow, learn, and flourish, supporting our vision to develop individuals of good character.”
