The Land of Neverendings Read online

  The younger brother was Clive Staples Lewis, later famous as the author of the Narnia books; I borrowed his middle name for my made-up author, John Staples. The little Lewises told each other elaborate stories about a magical land called ‘Boxen’ - totally different from ‘Smockeroon’, but imagined with the same intensity. Even as adults, the Lewises took their toys very seriously.

  Toys are important in my family. Prison Wendy is based on a dreadful rag doll, ‘Josephine Bun’, owned by my youngest sister, Charlotte. She still exists, but only as a bundle of dirty cloth; what’s left of her face is frankly evil and she is not fit for public display. My dear old parents have been dead for years, but their toys are sitting a few feet away from me at this very moment, happily collecting dust on top of the cupboard - including my mother’s ancient bear, who looks very like Notty Sale. My old bear is there too (just about; all that’s left is what the moths spat out). Most precious of all, however, are ‘Curly’ and ‘Pengy’ – the bear and penguin who belonged to my darling son, Felix.

  Felix died in 2012; he was nineteen, and long past playing with soft toys, but he never forgot how much he had loved these two when he was little. They travelled with him everywhere, their daft adventures cheered him up when he was sad, and there was a time (the happiest of my life) when I had to tell him a new story about them every night, like a very silly version of Sheherezade; they are, of course, the original Hugo and Smiffy.

  *

  The death of a child or young person is a rare thing in this part of the world, and children who have lost a sibling or a parent can feel very lonely, mostly because people just don’t know how to talk about it.

  Winston’s Wish is a fantastic charity that helps bereaved children – please visit them at winstonswish.org.uk.

  *

  ‘How small a part of time they share, that are so wondrous sweet and fair,’ comes from a beautiful poem called, ‘Goe, Lovely Rose’ by Edmund Waller (1606–1687).

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Here is a list of brilliant people who helped me while I was writing this book:

  Alice Swan, Caradoc King, Hannah Love, Amanda Craig, Marcus Berkmann, Richard Poynter, Bill Saunders, Louisa Saunders, Elsa Vulliamy, Claudia Vulliamy, Etta Saunders, Ed Saunders and Charlotte Saunders.

  Thank you for all the imagination.

  PRAISE FOR KATE SAUNDERS

  ‘Has to be one of the best books of the year …

  Truly magical.’

  Sunday Express

  ‘The best book I’ve read in years.’

  SF Said

  ‘A simply brilliant book.’

  Daily Mail

  ‘Superb.’

  New Statesman

  ‘One of this year’s stand-out books for children.’

  We Love This Book

  ‘Magnificent … If you buy one book for your

  nine-plus child, make it this one.’

  The Times

  ‘Funny, poignant and beautifully written.’

  Daily Express

  ‘A modern classic.’

  WRD

  ‘This is a skillful and deeply moving

  piece of work.’

  Guardian

  ‘A book to fall in love with.’

  Julia Eccleshare, Lovereading4kids

  ‘Magical … This book is a delight.’

  Katherine Rundell, author of Rooftoppers

  ‘Massively recommended.’

  The Bookbag

  ‘I want to press it on every reading household.’

  Awfully Big Blog Adventure

  ‘It is an irresistible read for a wide range of readers.’

  Publishers Weekly

  ‘Outstanding 2015 Costa children’s winner asks

  deep questions about courage and tyranny.’

  Independent

  ‘The perfect gift.’

  Telegraph

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kate Saunders is a full-time author and journalist and has written many books for adults and children. Her books for children have won awards and received rave reviews, and include Costa winner Five Children on the Western Front. Kate lives in London.

  BY THE SAME AUTHOR

  Five Children on the Western Front

  The Curse of the Chocolate Phoenix

  The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

  Magicalamity

  Beswitched

  The Belfry Witches

  The Belfry Witches Fly Again

  Cat and the Stinkwater War

  The Little Secret

  Have you read Kate’s other masterpiece,

  Five Children on the Western Front?

  It was a day full of adventure.

  The children were together for the last time.

  The Great War began in earnest,

  and Cyril was off to fight.

  And for the first time in ten years, the magical

  Psammead appeared at the bottom of the garden …

  An epic heart-wrenching follow-on from E. Nesbit’s

  Five Children and It stories.

  COPYRIGHT

  First published in 2017

  by Faber & Faber Limited

  Bloomsbury House,

  74–77 Great Russell Street,

  London WC1B 3DA

  This ebook edition first published in 2017

  All rights reserved

  Text © Kate Saunders, 2017

  Cover Illustration © David Dean, 2017

  The right of Kate Saunders and David Dean to be identified as author and illustrator of this work respectively has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

  ISBN 978–0–571–31097–5