The Wrong Shoes: The vital new novel from the bestselling creator of Big Bright Feelings
As seen:
By Tom Percival and Benjamin Isaac
avg rating
13 reviews
A beautiful and urgent exploration of the experience of child poverty from Tom Percival, creator of the bestselling Big Bright Feelings series, for fans of Boy at the Back of the Class. Working in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, £1 from the sale of a hardback copy in the UK will go towards supporting children in poverty.
‘Powerful and moving with the potential to change lives’ Hannah Gold
‘Full of empathy and most importantly, heart’ Phil Earle
There’s a bunch of kids in there and suddenly they’re all looking at me like someone who can actually do something, not just some weirdo with the wrong shoes and a rubbish coat . . .
Will has the wrong shoes – he’s always known it but doesn’t know how to change it. Navigating the difficulties of home and school when you feel you stick out is tough, but finding confidence with the help and empathy of friends can be all you need to see the way.Praise for The Wrong Shoes:
‘An extraordinary, powerful and moving book that has the potential to change lives.’ Hannah Gold ‘Every chapter is full of experience & empathy & most importantly, heart’ Phil Earle ‘Reading fiction is about walking in the shoes of people whose lives are very different to ours and allowing more readers to see themselves in stories. The Wrong Shoes is the perfect example of both – the right book at the right time’ Tom Palmer ‘A brilliant book – such a perfect marriage of words and illustrations and an important story told with real heart’ Christopher Edge ‘A hopeful, honest, big-hearted read. You’ll be rooting for the main character, Will, from the very first page . . . ’ Clara Vulliamy ‘A beautifully illustrated, deeply moving, empathy-boosting story . . .’ Rashmi Sirdeshpande ‘A superbly courageous and timely book. Will is a protagonist so many children and adults will identify with, really beautiful’ Steven Lenton TweetReviews
This book was a wonderful, thoughtful and inspiring story that I think all Y6 classes should read before they head up to secondary school. My 11 year old daughter also read it and loved it.
Inspirational story of power and hope. Just because bad things happened doesn't mean that has to be your future.
This is a moving and powerful story. Will's voice as the narrator feels very authentic giving us, the readers, a real insight into some of the many challenges that he faces. Some of the discussions that this story might trigger would require sensitive handling, but for some children could be truly transformative. The themes of resilience and hope are powerfully threaded right through to the very end of the book. The graphic-novel style illustrations and fairly widely-spaced text might appeal to reluctant UKS2 readers who may not ordinarily choose to read a novel - I hope so!
Wow! Fantastically gripping story written in the first person of a boy who has a tough life due to poverty. Set in the UK, Will navigates life at school and at home. His voice is powerful and you feel like you are with him along the way. There's no really happy ending, but there are triumphs, and the ending contrasts enough with the beginning for us to feel happy for Will.
Explores the impact child poverty has on daily life for young children. Shows how behaviours can mask the true realities children face each day and why it’s important to take time to understand children a bit more. Similar themes explore to ‘The Boy in the Tower’
An emotional read for those who may have experienced family break ups and a shortage of household income. Ideal for children age 10+. Would recommend to be read with a teacher in a primary school, years 5 & 6. The story delivers much to talk about and discuss. Could you imagine how the main character might feel? Yes, I could. There are aspects of this story where I saw myself. Children may see themselves too.
Beautifully written; sensitive but real about a child's situation that so many of our children find themselves in. The friendships, the temptations, the role of school and different teachers responded were all very plausible. His relationship to his father - just all beautiful.
Loved the owl as a symbol of hope. Went through the ups and downs alongside the character, easy to understand how relentless and despairing life must feel in that situation.
A challenging read about an important issue.
Oh my goodness- what a read, kept me gripped thoroughout.. loved it. So heart warming and thought provoking.
Fabulous book. Quick read. Great storyline and such an important message about contemporary society.
A story of hard times and hope, of perspective and kindness, of friendship and acceptance. And a story to open thinking and empathy building and see things as they are and might be. Family challenges realistically portrayed too
I really liked this book - it was so bright and empathetic. I really hope Will wins the Nature art competition. He deserves to win even if he does make the wrong choice sometimes. I doubt Cameron will ever truly understand how it is for Will living in poverty. My favourite characters are all of the people who helped Will at some point in his story. I think maybe Kalia especially. It's good that Chris eventually learned his lesson. I would recommend this to anyone who is fortunate enough to stumble across it. I really liked how £1 of each book goes to charity. Please buy it if you see this book in a bookshop.
I raced through this book which is an emotional roller coaster and I will certainly read it to children from Year 5 up (it would be great shared with Year 7). Tom brings his characters to life and children will certainly be able to identify with them (I could and it’s been a long time since I was in school). This is Tom Percival’s first novel (although there are some wonderful illustrations). I hope it’s the first of many.
