Skip to navigation Skip to content
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook
Shop Now
House of Books & Friends
My Account
  • £0.00 0
House of Books & Friends
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Coffee & Connections
    • Loneliness Awareness Week 2026
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Coffee & Connections
    • Loneliness Awareness Week 2026
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information

Buy Online

The wrong shoes

£7.99

A beautiful and sensitive exploration of the experience of child poverty from leading author/illustrator, Tom Percival, for fans of Boy at the Back of the Class and Julia and the Shark. 
 

In Stock

ISBN: 9781398527140 Category: Children's - Older Readers Tags: Children's / Teenage fiction & true stories, Children's / Teenage fiction: General fiction, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Bullying, violence, abuse &, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Friends & friendship issues, Housing & homelessness
  • Description
  • Additional information
  • Reviews (0)

Description

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. 

‘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

Additional information

Dimensions 19.8 × 13 × 2 cm
Author

Percival, Tom

Publisher

Simon & Schuster Children's

Imprint

Simon & Schuster Children's

Cover

Paperback

Pages

318

Language

English

Edition

1st paperback ed

Dewey

823.92 (edition:23)

Readership

Children – juvenile / Code: J

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Related products

  • Kip and the Squiggledoodle

    £7.99
    Add to basket
  • The 13-storey treehouse

    £8.99
    Add to basket
  • Rescue at Seal Bay

    £7.99
    Add to basket

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jul 3



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18602476669001392


Big news for book lovers! 📚🎧

http://Bookshop.org has heard our love for audiobooks and are stocking them on their UK platform! 🎉

Already on a mission to support independent bookshops with every purchase, http://Bookshop.org is now making it even easier to enjoy your next great read, whether you're commuting, walking, or relaxing at home.

Who's adding a few audiobooks to their wishlist? 👀

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jul 3



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18234979765315495


Join author and illustrator Navya Raju on 16th July for a free live portrait and book signing event! Navya will be with us from 12pm – 2pm, offering live illustrations of you and your little bookworms, as well as signing copies of her books ‘The Twirly Wiggly Dance’ and ‘Not Now, Goldilocks!’. Books will be available to purchase on the day.

Attendance is free; we recommend arriving early to avoid disappointment as each portrait takes time and there may be a queue.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jul 2



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18105379991103103


When Yesteryear started flying off our shelves, the majority of us at HOBAF needed to see what the hype was all about - causing an accidental 7 person buddy read!😀
We were surprised to find that our average staff rating was 3.8/5! ⭐
Comment your opinions on Yesteryear and the format you read it

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jul 1



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 17952657654190628


FUN HOME opens this week! 🎼

Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, FUN HOME makes its Northern premiere at the Royal Exchange theatre! AND two of our booksellers have be lucky enough to receive tickets!

Based on Alison Bechdel's groundbreaking graphic memoir of the same name, the musical follows Alison as she reflects on family, identity, memory and first love, creating a deeply personal story that has resonated with audiences around the world. 📚

As past and present intertwine, Alison uncovers family secrets and unexpected connections, revealing a powerful story of love, loss and discovering who you really are... It's safe that Mollie and Jessica are going to love this. 

Experience this major new Royal Exchange revival from 3 July – 1 August.

🎟️ Book now via the Royal Exchange Theater website!

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 30



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 17854295703693950


🔥BOOK CLUB NEWS🔥
Thanks to everyone who came and discussed The Director with us in June! For July, we will be reading Cooking in the Wrong Century by Teresa Präauer.

We have multiple sessions available to choose from, including our baby-friendly session on Thursday mornings.

Information and tickets available in-store or on our website.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 30



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18127929817636339


We are halfway through 2026, and so here is a little check in with our booksellers reading goals for the year! We have booksellers who keep track of every book they read and others who don't bother, but everyone at HOBAF shares a voracious love of literature! Feel free to share where you're at with your 2026 reading goals in the comments!


Follow on Instagram

You're here, so you must like reading.... our newsletter is akin to a literary classic! We have so many projects, events and plans for House of Books & Friends all of which we will pack in to our newsletter so you can be among the first to find out about all the latest news. Don't worry, we promise not to bombard you!

SUBSCRIBE
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook

Get in Touch

We love to hearing from fellow Bookworms!

Please drop us a message, find out where we are or get directions via our contact page.
Contact Us

 

© House of Books and Friends 2026 / Website designed by Bookswarm

The House of Books and Friends CIC is a community interest company registration number 13909633, the registered office of which is 53 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LQ. Trading Address - 81 King Street, Manchester M2 4AH. what3words ///stars.wished.papers

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy and Cookies
  • My Account
  • Search
  • Basket 0