Over the Line

by Tom Palmer

Published 1 March 2014

A stunning new edition of Tom Palmer’s bestselling novel based on the true story of WWI war hero and footballing legend Jack Cock.

It's the proudest moment of Jack's life – his debut as a professional footballer. Now he has a chance to achieve his dream of playing for his country. But it's 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen's cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers' Battalion and Jack has little choice but to join up. The promise of a Cup in Flanders offers a glimmer of hope, but Jack and his teammates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again. A stunning new edition of Tom Palmer's bestselling novel based on the true story of WWI war hero and footballing legend Jack Cock.


Secret FC

by Tom Palmer

Published 1 August 2013

A fun football story from one of the UK’s top writers of sports fiction for children, re-packaged in an appealing chunky new edition. As with all titles in the Conkers series, the book benefits from lots of fun extras, activities and quizzes.

Lily, Zack and Khal can't believe it when the new headmaster at their school bans football in the playground. What are a gang of football-mad kids meant to do at break-time now? Then Zack has a brilliant plan and a very secret football club is formed…Light-hearted and uplifting, this tale of football-underdogs-with-a-twist is lots of fun.


Dark Arena

by Tom Palmer

Published 2 August 2017

Action-packed follow-up to Killing Ground, this is an enthralling trilogy of spine-tingling spooky adventures with a sporty twist, from a master of footie fiction for kids.

It's meant to be a stress-free holiday in London, but suddenly Seth and Nadiya will need all their skills asDefenders. Ghostly activity is threatening a Premier League club as they build a new stadium on Roman ruins.One worker has already met a grisly death – and many other lives are in danger. The horror of modern injusticeseems to have woken the spirits of the past …What can the Defenders do to change things?Action-packed follow-up to Killing Ground in the Defenders series.


Pitch Invasion

by Tom Palmer

Published 7 November 2017

Action-packed finale to an enthralling trilogy of spine-tingling spooky adventures with a sporty twist, from a master of footie fiction for kids.

A tense Seth is waiting to hear if his mum's got the 'all-clear'. But instead of relaxing in Cornwall, Seth is haunted by visions. Heads on spikes – bloodied and rotten, eyes pecked out – surrounding an Iron Age hill fort to keep intruders away. When Seth meets two football-crazy brothers from Aleppo their stories offer him a new sense of courage. Can he look death in the face and restore calm to the present? Exciting finale to the Defenders trilogy.


Armistice Runner

by Tom Palmer

Published 6 September 2018

Tom Palmer celebrates the unsung athletic heroes of the Armistice in a powerful tale of the fell-running messengers on the front-line of war, publishing for the centenary anniversary of the end of WWI.

Lily has lots of worries. She's struggling to compete in her fell-running races and, worse, she's losing her gran to Alzheimer's. But then she discovers her great-great-grandfather's diaries from the First World War. Could his incredible story of bravery help her reconnect with her gran and even give her the inspiration she needs to push through and win?


D-Day Dog

by Tom Palmer

Published 1 May 2019

Master storyteller Tom Palmer returns with a touching celebration of the heroic paratroopers of WWII and their parachuting canine companions.

Jack can't wait for the school trip to the D-Day landing beaches. It's his chance to learn more about the war heroes he has always admired – brave men like his dad, who is a reserve soldier. But when his dad is called up to action and things at home spiral out of control, everything Jack believes about war is thrown into question. Finding comfort only in the presence of his loyal dog, Finn, Jack is drawn to the heart-wrenching true story of one particular D-Day paratrooper. On 6 June 1944, Emile Corteil parachuted into France with his dog, Glen – and Jack is determined to discover their fate …


Rugby Academy

by Tom Palmer

Published 3 June 2019

Celebrate the buzz of the Rugby World cup with this action-packed, globe-trotting rugby adventure from top-selling author Tom Palmer.

Borderlands First XV have their sights set on becoming the best school rugby team in the world. But while the boys focus on their matches, many of their parents are serving overseas in the armed forces, and everyone is worried as conflict grows in the Central Asian Republic. New pupil Woody is a footballer by nature and must decide if he's prepared to give rugby his all. Rory feels like he's losing his focus, distracted by thoughts of his parents in danger. And Owen finds himself a t the centre when conflict breaks out within the team. With so many hurdles to face along the way, how far will they get in the rigorous schools' tournament?


After the War

by Tom Palmer

Published 6 August 2020

Master storyteller Tom Palmer returns with a deeply moving and beautifully told novel of friendship and belonging, inspired by the incredible true story of the Windermere Boys.

"The best children’s fiction book I’ve yet read about the Holocaust" – Tim Robertson, CEO Anne Frank Trust


Summer 1945. The Second World War is finally over and Yossi, Leo and Mordecai are among three hundred children who arrive in the English Lake District. Having survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, they've finally reached a place of safety and peace, where they can hopefully begin to recover.

But Yossi is haunted by thoughts of his missing father and disturbed by terrible nightmares. As he waits desperately for news from home, he fears that Mordecai and Leo – the closest thing to family he has left – will move on without him. Will life by the beautiful Lake Windermere be enough to bring hope back into all their lives?


Killing Ground

by Tom Palmer

Published 6 June 2017

Breathtaking first book in an new trilogy of spine-tingling historical adventures with a football twist from the top selling Tom Palmer.

Everyone is freaked out when circles of scorched earth start appearing in Halifax – on the moors, the parks and even the football pitches. Seth is most disturbed of all – he sees the shadows of the past. But when he looks into a Viking's murderous eyes and smells the stink of burning flesh, Seth knows he must stop this cycle of supernatural suffering. With his friend Nadiya, can he discover the dark history behind the forces attacking their town?


Arctic Star

by Tom Palmer

Published 6 May 2021

Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer returns with a thrilling naval adventure inspired by the incredible history of the Second World War Arctic convoys.

Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer returns with a thrilling naval adventure inspired by the incredible history of the Second World War Arctic convoys.

Winter 1943. Teenagers Frank, Joseph and Stephen are Royal Navy recruits on their first mission at sea during the Second World War. Their ship is part of an Arctic Convoy sailing to Russia to deliver supplies to the Soviets. The convoys have to navigate treacherous waters, sailing through a narrow channel between the Arctic ice pack and German bases on the Norwegian coast. Faced with terrifying enemy attacks from both air and sea, as well as life-threatening cold and storms, will all three boys make it home again?


Resist

by Tom Palmer

Published 4 August 2022

Multi-award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on life under wartime occupation, in a beautifully told story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn.

As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is fraught with peril and hardship. There is very little to eat and the population lives under the constant threat of arrest and enslavement.

After the murder of her beloved uncle and the capture of her brother by the Germans, Edda is determined to do anything she can to help the resistance fight back against their oppressors. But what can a teenage girl do and how much risk is she willing to take?

Award-winning author Tom Palmer shines a light on the incredible work of the WWll Dutch resistance, in a story inspired by the childhood of Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn.