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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. 
 

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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
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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

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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

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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!

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🔥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.

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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!

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Jun 29



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A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated their preloved childrens books to our book drive with the @childrensbookproject

We are very happy to be sending off 100 books to new homes which wouldn't be possible without our wonderful community of bookworms. THANK YOU! 💛

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Jun 28



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How STUNNING is the cover of 'Pick a Colour' by Souvankham Thammavongsa?

Our booksellers had to spread the nail love 💅

About the book:

Ning is a retired boxer, but to the customers who visit her nail salon, she is just another worker named Susan. On this summer's day, much like any other, the Susans buff and clip and polish and tweeze. They listen and smile and nod. But beneath this superficial veneer, Ning is a woman of rigorous intellect and profound depth. A woman enthralled by the intricacy and rhythms of her work, but also haunted by memories of paths not taken and opportunities lost. A woman navigating the complicated power dynamics among her fellow Susans, whose greatest fears and desires lie just behind the gossip they exchange.

As the day's work grinds on, the friction between Ning's two identities – as anonymous manicurist and brilliant observer of her own circumstances – will gather electric and crackling force, and at last demand a reckoning with the way the world of privilege looks at a woman like Ning.


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