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Wolf Crown

Wolf Crown


A breathtaking fantasy world from the award-winning author of The Last Wild. In this spellbinding follow-up to Midnight Treasure, adventure with Tibor and Roza into an empire of vampirs and werwolves.

For readers who loved Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures or S.F. Said’s Tyger.

Praise for Midnight Treasure: ‘Stop the hunt for your next epic read because this is a treasure of a fantasy book. High stakes, big heart, frightfully good’ A.F. Steadman, author of the Skandar series

If you could destroy all the vampirs in the world just like that … would you?

Tibor and Roza are heirs to the throne in a world of vampirs and werwolves. They’ve found a magical treasure with incredible powers … and with it, they are the only people alive who can defeat the emperor of vampirs, the White Prince.

If only they could agree on how.

But to reclaim the vampir’s throne, they must first find the long-lost Wolf Crown before he does. Can they outwit his spies, dragons and werwolves in time? And decide who gets to wear … the Wolf Crown?

From the award-winning Piers Torday comes this spectacular, irresistible treasure hunt: there will be clues, spells, imprisonments and escapes, fights, betrayals … but above all, there will be courage and hope.

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group
Published: 09/10/2025
ISBN: 9781786541451

Letters to a Dog

Letters to a Dog


Letters from a longed-for pet provide comfort and entertainment for a lonely boy in a heartfelt and gently humorous tale from bestselling author Piers Torday.

Jamie is in hospital waiting for a life-changing operation. And to make a difficult time even harder, he’s fallen out with his dad and refuses to speak to him when he comes to visit.

To keep his spirits up, nurse Shirley suggests he writes a letter to the dog he desperately wants to adopt from the local dogs’ home. But imagine his surprise when Dog writes back!

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Published: 08/05/2025
ISBN: 978-1800901001

Awards


NEW STATESMAN'S BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS SUMMER 2025

Quotes


“Funny, heartbreaking and uplifting”

NEW STATESMAN

“An excellent addition to any library – to be recommended!”

BOOKS FOR KEEPS

“Beautifully told…a paw-some blend of humour and heart”

BOOKCRAIC

“Moving, funny and utterly enchanting”

LANCASHIRE EVENING POST

“Funny, tender, heartbreaking and hopeful all in less than 80 pages”

LOVEREADING4KIDS

“A gorgeous novella…very, very funny and utterly heartbreaking”

WORLD’S SMALLEST LIBRARY

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Midnight Treasure

Midnight Treasure


IF THERE IS ONE THING VAMPIRS CRAVE AS MUCH AS BLOOD, IT IS TREASURE . . .

Tibor is a werwolf, adopted by his guardian, a powerful vampir. He and his friend Roza are on the deadliest of quests, and one that will test their very immortality.

But they’re not the only ones hunting for the Midnight Treasure. Battling with bears, wrestling with vampirs and racing against the clock, Tibor and Roza must decide who to trust. And whether they will dare reveal the secrets . . . of the Midnight Treasure.

A breathtaking new fantasy world from the award-winning author of The Last Wild.

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group
Published: 05/09/2024
ISBN: 9781786541420

Awards


NEW STATESMAN CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR
THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK OF THE WEEK
THE TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK
AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE MONTH
BBC RADIO 4 TODAY HALLOWEEN CHILDREN'S BOOK CLUB PICK
A TLS CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR

Quotes


“A deliciously spooky fantasy”

THE IPAPER

“This epic fantasy ticks every box – fabulous.”

DAILY MAIL

“Full to the brim with playful, vividly realised details”

THE TIME LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

“A wholly absorbing adventure by this stunningly talented author”

NEW STATESMAN

“Fast-paced and full of lovely touches…will give readers of ten and up heaps to enjoy.”

LITERARY REVIEW

“A wonderful, imaginative book – perfect for fans of Northern Lights”

BOOKTRUST

“A clever adventure – the storytelling is writerly and skilled.”

THE SUNDAY TIMES

“A cast of brilliantly-imagined characters”

THE IRISH EXAMINER

“Something completely new – the writing is terrific…Enchanting.”

THE TIMES

“A classy take on the vampire and werewolves genre – a high-stakes parable of friendship…and Indiana Jones derring do’

KITTY EMPIRE, THE OBSERVER

“Shades of Twilight, shades of Northern Lights – masterful”

ISLAND OF BRILLIANT

“A gripping and superbly written fantasy”

JUST IMAGINE

“A breathtakingly imagined world full of marvels, myths and magic”

LANCASHIRE EVENING POST

The Box of Delights

The Box of Delights


There are tricks… and then there’s magic!

After a seemingly chance encounter on a train, orphaned schoolboy Kay Harker finds himself the guardian of a small wooden box with powers beyond his wildest dreams. Caught up in a battle between two powerful magicians, Kay fights to save not only the people he loves but the future of Christmas itself.

Adapted by Piers Today from John Masefield’s classic children’s novel, this festive production opened at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in October 2023, based on the original staging at Wilton’s Music Hall, London, 2017.

Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 02/11/2023
ISBN: 9780571390151

Quotes


“Very charming… and wildly imaginative”

DAILY TELEGRPAH

“A compelling and complete fantasy world”

TIME OUT

“Witty and gripping”

FINANCIAL TIMES

“Captures the dreamlike strangeness of a much loved children’s classic”

RADIO TIMES

“Magical – an unexpected treat”

THE GUARDIAN

“Destined to become an enduring festive favourite” ★★★★

EVENING STANDARD

“Cleverly adapted”

TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

“An incredible job of reworking the original novel – while still including some beautiful nods to the beloved television version”

ATTITUDE

“Elegantly adapted”

Libby Purves, THEATRE CAT

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The Wild Before

The Wild Before cover

The Wild Before


Can one hare alone change the world? A captivating animal adventure destined to be loved by readers of all ages.

One frosty winter’s night, a pure white calf is born on an ordinary muddy farm in the light of a silver moon. This is the legendary Mooncalf, whose arrival has been foretold since the dawn of time.

Hare knows immediately that if the calf is not saved it will be the end of all things.

According to a dream passed down from animal to animal, if the calf dies a great terribleness will come – rising seas, a plague, skies raining down fire… and Hare vows to protect Mooncalf with his life.

Upon Mooncalf’s arrival, the old bull summons all the animals of the farm and tells them of this dream, warning that they must help Hare in his mission before it is too late.

But it’s easier said than done, and soon Hare realises that he must act on his own…

A stunning prequel to the award-winning bestselling The Last Wild trilogy, with themes of climate change, hope and friendship.

‘Piers Torday is the new master of books for children who like magic and modernity with their lust for adventure’ The Times

Publisher: Quercus Children's Books
Published: 19/08/2021
ISBN: 978-1786541116

Awards


THE INDEPENDENT CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK
THE WEEK JUNIOR BOOK OF THE WEEK
THE OBSERVER - A CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR
THE SUNDAY TIMES - A CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK

Quotes


“A prequel to Torday’s Last Wild trilogy that is every bit as luminous as those beloved children’s classics, The Wild Before is a stunning mix of folklore, adventure and environmental awareness.”

WATERSTONES

“This stunning animal adventure…an unforgettable story of hope and friendship”

FIONA NOBLE, THE BOOKSELLER

“Wild animals put aside selfish ambition to seek better days – a great lesson for us all.”

THE INDEPENDENT

“The Last Wild books are modern classics – and this prequel is enchanting”

THE WEEK JUNIOR

“Required reading”

THE OBSERVER

“An important wee tale”

SUNDAY POST

“A consummate storyteller”

THE I PAPER

“A uniquely enjoyable book”

BOOKTRUST

“A magical and lyrical adventure”

NICOLETTE JONES, THE SUNDAY TIMES

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Swallowed By a Whale: How to Survive the Writing Life

Swallowed By a Whale: How to Survive the Writing Life


Delighted to have an essay, ‘To the Temple’, in this new title from British Library Publishing (edited by Huw Lewis-Jones), which answers budding writers’ and readers’ burning questions on the writing process, from philosophical outlooks to practical advice. It covers an extremely wide range of genres including adult fiction bestsellers, children’s authors and illustrators, poets, essayists and biographers.

“Fiction was invented the day Jonah arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale.” – Gabriel García Márquez

In this specially-commissioned anthology, sixty accomplished authors share secrets and insights into their writing lives: on their inspirations, methods, wild ideas and daily routines; on the pleasure and the pain in achieving their literary goals; on how they started out and how they hope to continue. They outline some golden rules for staying on track and talk candidly about what goes wrong as well as right. We hear from novelists, poets, biographers, and children’s writers; illustrators, campaigners, teachers, mothers, husbands, an entrepreneur turned surfboard shaper, a quantum physicist, an opera librettist, and a Laureate who loves dragons. All writers.

We have emerging talents in our team alongside much-loved authors whose books have sold in millions. Each reflects in their own way on the creative process and the compulsion to write. How to find inspiration? How to get the words right? How to cope with writer’s block? How to handle bad reviews? How to become a better reader? Pencil or computer? Inside or out? And where do the good ideas really come from?

Swallowed by a Whale includes contributions from: Kwame Alexander, Anthony Browne, Cressida Cowell, Isabelle Dupuy, Inua Ellams, Lev Grossman, Joanne Harris, Catherine Johnson, Thomas Keneally, Neal Layton, David Mitchell, Beverley Naidoo, Chibundu Onuzo, Chris Riddell, Francesca Simon, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Piers Torday, Raynor Winn and many more.

Publisher: British Library Publishing Ltd
Published: 29/10/2020
ISBN: 978-0712353038

The Book of Hopes

The Book of Hopes

The Book of Hopes


Edited by award-winning children’s author, Katherine Rundell, The Book of Hopes: Words and Pictures to Comfort, Inspire and Entertain Children in Lockdown is completely free for all children and families.  The extraordinary collection of short stories, poems, essays and pictures has contributions from more than 110 children’s writers and illustrators, including Lauren Child, Anthony Horowitz, Greg James and Chris Smith, Michael Morpurgo, Liz Pichon, Axel Scheffler, Francesca Simon, Piers Torday, Jacqueline Wilson – and Katherine herself.

The Book of Hopes aims to comfort, inspire and encourage children during lockdown through delight, new ideas, ridiculous jokes and heroic tales. There are true accounts of cats and hares and plastic-devouring caterpillars; there are doodles and flowers; revolting poems and beautiful poems; and there are stories of space travel and new shoes and dragons.

The collection is dedicated to the doctors, nurses, carers, porters, cleaners and everyone currently working in hospitals. Bloomsbury intends to publish a gift book based on the project to be published in the autumn in support of NHS Charities Together.

 

“A few weeks ago, I began a Hope Project; I emailed some of the children’s writers and artists whose work I love most. I asked them to write something very short, fiction or non-fiction, or draw something that would make the children reading it feel like possibility-ists: something that would make them laugh or wonder or snort or smile. The response was magnificent, which shouldn’t have surprised me, because children’s writers and illustrators are professional hunters of hope. I hope that the imagination can be a place of shelter for children in the hard months ahead and that The Book of Hopes might be useful in that, even if only a little.”

Katherine Rundell

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 27/04/2020

Christmas Carol – a fairy tale

Christmas Carol cover

Christmas Carol – a fairy tale


BY CHARLES DICKENS

Adapted for the stage by Piers Torday

1838, London. Jacob Marley is dead. And so is Ebenezer Scrooge…

In this story, Ebenezer died young, but his sister Fan married Marley and, as his widow, has now inherited his moneylending business.

She rapidly becomes notorious as the most monstrous miser ever known, a legendary misanthrope, lonely, and despised by all who cross her path.

Seven years later, on Christmas Eve, Fan Scrooge will be haunted by three spirits.

They want her to change. But will she?

Rediscover a classic British fairy tale. Refreshed and relevant for the 21st century, this traditional story, inspired by the politics of nineteenth century London, premiered in the world’s oldest surviving music hall, Wilton’s Music Hall, in December 2019.

Publisher: Nick Hern Books
Published: 05/12/2019
ISBN: 978-1848429147

Quotes


“An intelligent, compelling riff…has a whipcrack wit”

WHATSONTAGE.COM

“Modern, relevant and moving”

THEATRE WEEKLY

”Delightfully surprising and subversive”

THE GUARDIAN

“A clever, gender-flipped adaptation” ★★★★

TIME OUT

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The Frozen Sea

The Frozen Sea


‘That’s the best book I ever read…’ he said, ‘and by book, I mean unbelievable secret weapon.’

Jewel Hastings doesn’t know who she is. But she is about to discover that she is one of the most remarkable people ever to have 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 deadly and more magnificent than they ever imagined. And what Jewel discovers will change her life forever….

THE FOLLOW UP TO THE LOST MAGICIAN

Publisher: Quercus Children's Books
Published: 05/09/2019
ISBN: 978-1786540768

Awards


AN iPAPER CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019
A BOOKTRUST BOOK OF THE MONTH

Quotes


“This utterly brilliant sequel – a nail biting adventure”

BOOKTRUST – Read of the Month

“Magical, in every sense – a book lover’s delight”

MAGIC FICTION SINCE POTTER

“A dazzling adventure”

THE iPAPER

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Return to Wonderland

Return to Wonderland


Return to Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland with this stunning collection of original stories from today’s biggest children’s authors – Peter Bunzl, Pamela Butchart, Maz Evans, Swapna Haddow, Patrice Lawrence, Chris Smith, Robin Stevens, Lauren St John, Lisa Thompson, Piers Torday and Amy Wilson.

Tumble down the rabbit hole again to find out what happens in Wonderland without Alice there. Is the Queen of Hearts still ruling with an iron fist? Does the Mad Hatter still have to go to tea? And will Tweedledum and Tweedledee ever resolve their argument?

More than 150 years since Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first published by Macmillan, revisit Carroll’s amazing cast of characters – including the Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle, the Dormouse, the Cheshire Cat and Alice’s Sister in these brand-new stories, that will bring a new generation of readers to Wonderland.

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Published: 27/06/2019
ISBN: 978-1529006032

Quotes


‘Drink me! It’s hard not to lap up this collection of stories’

THE TIMES

‘Playful, impassioned and inventive’

SUNDAY TIMES  – CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK