A spellbinding adventure from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Last Wild trilogy.

'A dazzling adventure by an award-winning storyteller' i Newspaper

'Utterly brilliant ... a nail-biting adventure of twists and turns' Book Trust

Jewel Hastings doesn't know who she is. But she is about to discover that she is one of the most remarkable people to have ever walked the earth...

On the run from school bullies, Jewel tumbles through the door of a mysterious old bookshop and falls headlong into Folio, the world of the imagination. There, she must begin a quest to rescue her missing aunt, helped only by her rude pet hamster Fizz and a malfunctioning copper robot.

From the shimmering lights of the Idea Jungle, to the desolate expanse of the Frozen Sea, their mission will bring them face-to-face with a danger both more magnificent and more deadly than they ever imagined. And what Jewel discovers will change her life, for ever...

'Masterly storytelling - both entertaining and profound' THE TIMES on THE LOST MAGICIAN

About the Author
Piers Torday began his career in theatre and then television as a producer and writer. His first book for children, The Last Wild, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Award and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His second book, The Dark Wild, won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. There May Be A Castle was a People's Book Award finalist and a Times Children's Book of the Year. The Lost Magician was a Book of the Year in six national newspapers and won the Teach Primary Book Award. The follow up, The Frozen Sea, was published in 2019. Piers has also completed an unfinished novel by his late father Paul (author of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Death of an Owl) and adapted The Box of Delights and A Christmas Carol for the stage.

Reviews
Torday pays tribute to reading, libraries and imagination in one of the most clever and ambitious children's books you'll read this year * The Bookseller, on The Lost Magician *
Thrilling, epic, wise. Truly a book for our times. (With extra rainbow unicorns!) -- Natasha Farrant, author of The Children of Castle Rock
Gripping, original and memorable -- Francesca Simon, on The Last Wild trilogy
Piers Torday is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure. * The Times, on There May Be a Castle *
Piers Torday continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best writers for children working today * The Guardian, on There May Be a Castle *
Heartbreaking, surprising, uplifting ... proves that stories matter. They really do * The Bookbag, on There May Be a Castle *
Full marks ... for a story not afraid to take on some of the fundamentals of life while still managing to preserve the lightest of touches * Books For Keeps, on There May Be a Castle *
An excellent, punchy adventure tale with vivid characters and an impassioned eco message * The Financial Times on The Last Wild trilogy *
Wildly inventive, moving and gripping ... full of suspense without ever sacrificing warmth * The Guardian on The Last Wild trilogy *
A whimsical yet thoughtful tale that brings to mind the smarts and silliness of Roald Dahl and Norton Juster * New York Post, on The Last Wild trilogy *
Torday's story is alternately sombre, thrilling, and silly, filled with eccentric human and animal characters with distinctive voices * Publishers Weekly on The Last Wild trilogy *
Written in vivid and urgent style ... As thrilling as James and the Giant Peach ... The Last Wild may be as critical to the new generation as Tarka the Otter * The Times on The Last Wild trilogy *
A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination * The School Run, on There May Be a Castle *
A magical new adventure from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction prize. * WRD About Books *
The narrative is skillfully strung together and the ending deeply surprising, challenging the norms of what might be expected in a children's novel, which is all to the good. -- Philip Womack, on There May Be a Castle * Literary Review *
A dazzling adventure by an award-winning storyteller * i Newspaper - The Best Books for Christmas 2019 *



Book Information
ISBN 9781786540768
Author Piers Torday
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Quercus Children's Books
Publisher Hachette Children's Group
Weight(grams) 394g
Dimensions(mm) 200mm * 132mm * 36mm