From the winner of the Whitbread Children's Book Award the Carnegie Medal and the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award comes the extraordinary prequel to the award-winning Skellig. Shortlisted for the 2012 Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

a master novelist -- Independent There really is nobody quite like Almond writing in children's or adults' fiction today. -- The Times a writer of subtle, page-turning and daring exactness. -- Times Educational Supplement Almond manages to make a work of art out of the simplest words. -- Amanda Craig, The Times David Almond is a fine writer, one of the very finest we have. He is simply incapable of writing a bad sentence. -- Michael Morpurgo 'Another brilliant novel from a master storyteller.' -- Carousel Unsettling but, as ever, beautifully written. -- Daily Mail '... exceptional, delicate writing ... make a moving and thoughtful story told with exceptional elegance.' -- Julia Eccleshare 'exquisite prose which sparkles off the page' -- Writeaway BACKLIST REVIEWS: 'a book of startling quality and tremendous beauty' -- The Bookbag David Almond's novels all have a unique, mystical thread running through them. He weaves a story web, spiderlike, that holds the reader spellbound while he spins new though-threads on universal themes. -- Carousel One of these days, someone is going to notice that David Almond has been kidnapped by children's publishing and demand him back for adults. But until then, we must rejoice in every new offering of his. -- Sunday Telegraph "superb coming-of-age novel from one of our master story-tellers." -- Bookseller "This is a novel of power and beauty." -- The Daily Telegraph A remarkable and thought-provoking prequel. -- INIS A standalone exploration of a child's relationship with language, ideas and living things... the reader is with her all the way. -- Observer The creative way Mina uses words to explore her dreams and ideas will inspire anyone who's ever kept a diary. -- Alice, 17, Dorset 'A celebration of the richness of the everyday world... to read it is to feel uplifted.' -- Sunday Times A sensational meditation on creativity and the power of words. -- The Daily Telegraph Almond promotes and celebrates freedom for children and their thinking in this lyrical book about growing up. -- Guardian (Julia Eccleshare) Incredibly moving. -- Sunday Express A glorification of imagination. David Almond has created a novel that will excite, astound and inspire adults and children alike. -- English Association Journal