Jayben and the Golden Torch: Book 1

Product Information

Apr 19 2023 Jayben and the golden torch by Thomas Leeds Hachette, 2023. ISBN: 9781444968637. (Age: 10-14) Recommended. The night before my 30th birthday, I decided to try to accept that he was simply gone – for ever. I was planning a 1980s-themed party and had started preparing a playlist of 80s music. It was late. I went to bed, plugged my earphones in and closed my eyes. I started skipping from one classic to the next, adding each tune to the playlist. After 10 years of listening to the radio, I knew them all by heart.

Jayben and the Golden Torch Book 1 - LoveReading4Kids Jayben and the Golden Torch Book 1 - LoveReading4Kids

As I learned to live with memory loss and epilepsy caused by my brain injury, I rediscovered the magic of reading and I fell in love with stories set in fantasy worlds, where the heroes were confronted with the unknown. It was the closest I could get to seeing myself on an exciting adventure, because when you have memory loss, the real world is a mysterious place. There was a lot of action and at times I felt the story could do with a little slowing down. This was helped by the introduction of Jayben's medical condition which added another layer of interest to the story. I think there were just too many new names and plot ideas for the story to be easy to follow - every creature, place and food had a totally unfamiliar and unusual name, and whilst this was interesting it meant it interrupted the flow of my reading constantly trying to remember what was what! The idea for my book Jayben and the Golden Torch came exploding into my head and I've never felt so compelled to do something. I had to write it.

I was very fortunate to have a family who supported me at home while I recovered. There was so much to learn and with every answer came more questions; soon, the questions became bigger and tougher. What am I going to do with my life? How can I get a job when I don’t remember school? Who am I, really? Is the Land of Roar real or imaginary? You’ll have to make up your own mind in this exciting and tense coming-of-age adventure that has echoes of Jumanji and Peter Pan.

Jayben and the golden torch ReadPlus - Jayben and the golden torch

If your young reader is a fan of Francesca Gibbons and the Wizards of Once series, then Jayben and the Golden Torch will be right up their alley! I recommend it for children aged 9+. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Ben lives with his aunt who isn't especially nice to live with. He's not too sure what happened to his parents.When twelve-year-old Jayben finds himself in a fantastical new world, he wonders what it all means: Jayben has blanks in his memory due to his epileptic seizures as a result of brain injury.

Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds - Coles Books Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds - Coles Books

Bookstart Toddler: “It’s about that bubble you create when you’re sharing a book with the child – that togetherness that you have.” I think this story could really do with a map at the beginning, laying out the world for the reader as it would be easier to visualise what we are reading.The moment I finished this book I had to sit quietly, as I was blown away by what I had just read. A modern classic of children’s fantasy with a necessary hero — a boy with seizures and memory loss. It’s a magical tale that explores family and friendship, collective hope and memory against hatred and greed, and bravery. I loved it. But could somebody like me, with such a terrible memory, really write a book? It seemed almost impossible, but not quite. And if something is not impossible, then you can do it. Jayben and the Golden Torchauthor Thomas Leeds has personal experience of looking for fiction starring characters who have epilepsy and memory loss.

Jayben and the Golden Torch: Book 1 - Hachette Jayben and the Golden Torch: Book 1 - Hachette

Then I pressed “skip” one more time, and that’s when it happened – the most surreal moment of my life. A song I had somehow not heard in all that time, The Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys, began to play, and I was transported. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find UsFor all the brilliant non-fiction resources there are to help a child cope with a brain injury and epilepsy, I believe they need help through fiction just as much. They need to see their difficulties faced by strong characters in stories that are not about the fact that they're disabled – books that any of their friends might enjoy just as much. From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada: