Every year 7 Magnus student receives the gift of a book for Christmas
Author Tom Percival visited year 7 students at Magnus Church of England Academy this week.
Speaking to students, the author revealed his journey to becoming a published writer and discussed the ideas behind his latest book, The Wrong Shoes.
Tom said, “My visit to Magnus C of E Academy has been great and the students have been really engaged. We have been discussing my book The Wrong Shoes, which at 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. “It doesn’t matter if its 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.”
Magnus C of E Academy Assistant Principal, Sarah Harper, said, “We are honoured to have Tom join us for the event and to talk to Year 7 about his experiences as a published author and his inspiration for the book. 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.”
Year 7 students who received a copy of Tom’s book, courtesy of Magnus C of E Academy, were able to get their books signed by the author. Tom said, “I think 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.”
Lilly-Mai Portas is in Year 7 and was enthusiastic about the gift, she said, “I have already started reading the book during lunch and enjoyed listening to the author talk about the story this morning. He talked to us about when he was young and also about what the book itself is based on.”
Fellow year 7 student Fatima Haymoun said, “I enjoyed the talk this morning. I was interested to know what the book meant to Tom and can see that he really cares about his stories. I really like his books. I think I would like to have a go at writing a book one day, but I would ask for support from others who have already written books before, just to make sure I wrote the best book I could!”
Year 7 student Sumayyah Adesope said, “Reading is a hobby of mine and I have always wanted to own a book by this author, -not one I have to return to the library! I was really happy when I found out we would be getting a copy. I think reading is really important, and I borrow books from the library all the time, it helps you in all of your subjects.”
Heather Jackson (Magnus Learning Resource Centre Manager) said, “We are delighted to once again present our Year 7 students with a book this Christmas, 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.”
Magnus C of E Academy Assistant Principal, Sarah Harper, added, “We are proud of the attitudes and behaviour of Year 7 throughout the event and very impressed with the questions they asked of Tom after his talk. Well done Year 7 and we hope they enjoy reading their new book over the Christmas break!”