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Author: Leeds, Thomas

For National Curriculum Key Stage 2

Published on 2 February 2023 by Hachette Children’s Group (Hodder Children’s Books) in the United Kingdom as part of ‘the JAYBEN’ series.

Paperback | 368 pages
196 x 129 x 30 | 322g

Can one boy with no memories save the world?’Jayben is my kind of hero, and he’s one to be celebrated. This amazing exploration of fantasy through the lens of epilepsy shows all readers that one quality we all need to save the world: valour!’ – Elle McNicoll, author of A Kind of Spark’I loved this book – a triumphant and richly imagined fantasy as well as a compelling insight into life with seizures and memory loss. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!’ – Lee Newbery, author of The Last FirefoxIn the Earth world, a boy dreams of faraway lands to escape life with his horrible aunt.

In the Elf world, he wakes up with a mysterious golden torch but without any clue who he is …

except for the compass he pulls from his pocket, engraved with one name: JAYBENJayben discovers that many moons ago, a giant put a dark spell on the golden torch, and the elves forgot everything that had come before. Now they hang precious memories in jars on trees, just to try to remember.

But a new darkness grows among them.

An evil villain called Null is burning down the forests, hellbent on finding the torch and becoming the most powerful being ever to live.

If Jayben can find his own magic and ignite the torch with its fierce violet flame, his power will be unstoppable … Can Jayben save the world before the lights go out forever?A story of courage, hope and friendship. Whatever pages are missing in your story, you can be the hero on the next page.

‘A modern classic of children’s fantasy with a necessary hero’ – Lizzie Huxley-Jones