There May Be a Castle

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

A remarkable story about love and death from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

Eleven-year-old Mouse is travelling to see his grandparents on Christmas Eve with his mother and two sisters. But it's snowing, and visibility is bad, and the car goes off the road, and crashes.

Mouse is thrown from the car.

When he wakes, he's not in his world any more. He meets a sheep named Bar, who can only say Baaa, and a sarcastic horse named Nonky, who is a surprising mix of his beloved toy horse and his older sister.
So begins a quest to find a castle in 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.

But why are they looking for a castle? As the cold grows, we realise it might just have something to do with the family he's left behind; and that Mouse's quest is more important than ever.

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.

(P)2020 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critics Review

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
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 continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best writers for children working today
The Guardian
Original, ingenious and bold ... I am still reeling.
The Sunday Times
Brimming with humour and excitement ... beautifully described and the tension never breaks
Scoop
Heart-warming and heart-wrenching ... another fantastic tale from Piers Torday and one not to miss.
Carousel
An outstanding book and a future classic
School Librarian
Mesmerising and overwhelming with emotion.
Booktrust
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
If you were to dislike this book, I would not be your friend!
Omer (aged 11)
Not many books change readers' views of the world, this might be one of them.
LoveReading4Kids
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.
Literary Review
A magical new adventure from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction prize.
WRD About Books
A gripping, memorable adventure which celebrates the power and scope of our imagination
The School Run
A remarkable story of about love and loss from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
Hexham Courant
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 fantastical and surprising allegory, There May Be A Castle is unlike any other book for children dealing with the subjects of death, family and the power to shape your own stories. Heart-warming, heart-wrenching and, at times, quite bizarre, this is another fantastical tale from Piers Torday and not one to miss
Carousel

More from the same

Author

Narrator

About xigxag

Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

 

Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.

 

Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.