Ben has lived with his unkind Aunt Samantha for six years. He has no memory of his parents or why they left him. In fact, he has no memories at all of the first six years of his life. And the brain injury that stole his memories also causes him to have seizures.

Jayben and the Golden Torch | BookTrust

I went to a lot of the places I was told I had been to as a child, all the parks and shops and old schools. I went to places we’d been to on holiday and travelled the tube on the routes I had taken in my teens. We tried everything, but as time went on, the boy with my name in so many stories and grainy photographs remained another person in another world.Jayben 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 ... So often seizures in fiction are depicted as the end or a sign of someone worsening, we so rarely get to see people living with seizures and living through them. There are so many people, especially kids, dealing with this right now who need a hero like Jayben, to see themselves. 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 Firefox

Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds | Waterstones

For 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. Looking for information on disability and children's books? Bookmark is full of advice and book recommendations for families, teachers, librarians, authors and publishers. A curious, immersive fantasy with complex world-building, engaging characters and quirky creatures. Ideal for readers who enjoy an exciting adventure with added depth and intensity. 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. Readers who enjoy an exciting adventure with added depth and intensity are sure to be captivated by this funny, heart-warming and imaginative voyage into memory, meaning and identity. LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Finding a world of clans that descend from old magic & someone who is draining their memories by taking magic away. His aunt is busy berating him when he sees something in the room that shouldn't be there and then....stars