Overview

A remarkable story about love, loss and the power of the imagination, from an award-winning, celebrated writer for children. On a frozen Christmas Eve, Mouse Mallory and his family set off across a snow-white valley to visit his grandparents. They never arrive. As the wheels skid off the icy road, Mouse is thrown from the car. When he wakes, he finds himself in a magical landscape, with only a talkative sheep and a very bossy horse for company. And they tell him: this is your story now. So begins Mouse's extraordinary quest through a world of wonder. A world of monsters, minstrels, dangerous knights and mysterious wizards; a world of terrifying danger but also more excitement than Mouse has ever known. All to find a castle, somewhere, beyond. But why is Mouse looking for a castle? As thoughts of his family back at the car begin to surface, Mouse realises this might be the most important journey he will ever make ... This is a novel about love and death. It's about the power of stories to change the way we view the world - and it's about the power of a child to change their own world. Emotionally arresting but ultimately uplifting, this is a remarkable novel for our times.

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9781784292744

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Reviews

Piers Torday...is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure. * The Times * Original in its accurate representation of the actual experience of children and its satirical approach to the fantastical ... this novel works emotional truth and tension into its adventure and comedy * The Sunday Times * A remarkable story of about love and loss from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize * Hexham Courant * A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination * The School Run * 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 * Literary Review * Not many books change readers' views of the world, this might be one of them. * LoveReading4Kids * If you were to dislike this book, I would not be your friend! -- Omer (aged 11) 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 * Mesmerising and overwhelming with emotion. * Booktrust * An outstanding book and a future classic -- School Librarian Heart-warming and heart-wrenching ... another fantastic tale from Piers Torday and one not to miss. * Carousel * Brimming with humour and excitement ... beautifully described and the tension never breaks -- Philip Womack * Scoop * Original, ingenious and bold ... I am still reeling. * The Sunday Times * Piers Torday continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best writers for children working today * The Guardian * Heartbreaking, surprising, uplifting - Mouse's snowbound journey is one you'll remember for a long, long time. There May Be a Castle proves that stories matter. They really do * The Bookbag * Piers Torday is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure ... Torday understands the lot of the younger sibling, the power of the imagination to heal and the strong, irregular rhythms of grief * The Times *

Shows the power of imagination to help us conquer fear, and the importance of friends and family even if they are not physically present, or indeed are a toy horse and a robot dinosaur. An outstanding book and a future classic * School Librarian * Piers Torday...is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure. * The Times * It's an adventure set on the moors. It's very funny but the end was unexpectedly emotional and it stays with you * Ham & High * A remarkable story of about love and loss from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize * Hexham Courant * 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 * Literary Review * A magical new adventure from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction prize. We're loving the cover illustration too by Rob Biddulph * WRD About Books * A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination * TheSchoolrun.com * Mouse wakes up in a magical world complete with a full-sized version of his beloved toy horse * Scottish Daily Express * A moving and very original children's book ... investigating the subject of love and loss in the way a child can understand * Hexham Courant * Piers Torday continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best writers for children working today * The Guardian * Piers Torday ... is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure ... Torday understands the lot of the younger sibling, the power of the imagination to heal and the strong, irregular rhythms of grief * The Times * A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination * The School Run * Original in its accurate representation of the actual experience of children and its satirical approach to the fantastical...this novel works emotional truth and tension into its adventure and comedy * The Sunday Times * Piers Torday...is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure. * The Times * 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 * Heartbreaking, surprising, uplifting - Mouse's snowbound journey is one you'll remember for a long, long time. There May Be a Castle proves that stories matter. They really do * The Bookbag * 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 * 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 * Wildly inventive, moving and gripping ... full of suspense without ever sacrificing warmth * The Guardian on The Last Wild Trilogy * An excellent, punchy adventure tale with vivid characters and an impassioned eco message * Financial Times on The Last Wild Trilogy * A must-read: brings to mind the smarts and silliness of Roald Dahl * New York Post 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 * Gripping, original and memorable * Francesca Simon on The Last Wild trilogy *

Gripping, original and memorable Francesca Simon 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 must-read: brings to mind the smarts and silliness of Roald Dahl New York Post on The Last Wild trilogy An excellent, punchy adventure tale with vivid characters and an impassioned eco message 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 Heartbreaking, surprising, uplifting - Mouse's snowbound journey is one you'll remember for a long, long time. There May Be a Castle proves that stories matter. They really do The Bookbag 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 Piers Torday...is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure. The Times Original in its accurate representation of the actual experience of children and its satirical approach to the fantastical...this novel works emotional truth and tension into its adventure and comedy The Sunday Times A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination The School Run Piers Torday ... is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure ... Torday understands the lot of the younger sibling, the power of the imagination to heal and the strong, irregular rhythms of grief The Times Piers Torday continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best writers for children working today The Guardian A moving and very original children's book ... investigating the subject of love and loss in the way a child can understand Hexham Courant Mouse wakes up in a magical world complete with a full-sized version of his beloved toy horse Scottish Daily Express A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination TheSchoolrun.com A magical new adventure from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction prize. We're loving the cover illustration too by Rob Biddulph 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 Literary Review A remarkable story of about love and loss from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Hexham Courant It's an adventure set on the moors. It's very funny but the end was unexpectedly emotional and it stays with you Ham & High Piers Torday...is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure. The Times Shows the power of imagination to help us conquer fear, and the importance of friends and family even if they are not physically present, or indeed are a toy horse and a robot dinosaur. An outstanding book and a future classic School Librarian

Author Information

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.

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