Medieval life meets Arthurian magic in a novel that transcends boundaries of time and age, appealing to children of 9+ and older readers alike. The winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Smarties Prize bronze award in 2001, this timeless novel is stunningly reissued for a new generation.

The year is 1199, the place the Welsh Marches. Young Arthur de Caldicot is given a magical shining stone in which his legendary namesake is revealed. In 100 short chapters that brilliantly evoke life in a medieval manor, stories of the boy King Arthur begin to echo - and anticipate - the secrets and mysteries that emerge in his own life . . .

"As bright and as vivid as the pictures in a Book of Hours. Deep scholarship, high imagination, and great gifts of storytelling have gone into this; I was spellbound." - Philip Pullman, The Guardian

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised by the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Award. This award was founded in 1967 and winners are selected by fellow writers. It is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above. It was recognised by the Tir Na Nog Award. It also was recognised by the Smarties Book Award. It was recognised by the Whitbread Book Award.

This book features in the following series: Arthur, Arthur Trilogy .

This book has been graded for interest at 12-16 years.

There are 352 pages in this book. This book was published 2013 by Hachette Children's Group .

Kevin Crossley-Holland is well-known as a poet, broadcaster, and writer for children. He won the Carnegie Medal in 1985. For Oxford, he has written The Green Children and adapted Beowulf for children.