Sleeping Army, The (Book 1 Of Mortal Gods)

Description: Freya is an ordinary girl living in modern Britain, but with a twist: people still worship the Viking gods. One evening, stuck with her dad on his night shift at the British Museum, she is drawn to the Lewis Chessmen and Heimdall's Horn. Unable to resist, she blows the horn, waking three chess pieces from their enchantment; the slaves Roskva and Alfi, and Snot the Berserk. They are all summoned to Asgard, land of the Viking gods, and told they must go on a perilous journey to restore the gods to youth. If Freya refuses she will be turned into an ivory chess piece but, if she accepts her destiny and fails, the same terrible fate awaits her. Review: Children will love the banter, the darkness and physicality of the tale Guardian A wildly original, rollicking twist on Norse mythology -- Jacqueline Wilson Guaranteed to bring gales of laughter The Times Breathtaking, magical storytelling. I loved this book -- Eoin Colfer Prizes: Long-listed for Carnegie Medal 2013. Author Biography: Francesca Simon is universally known for the staggeringly popular Horrid Henry series. These books and CDs have sold over 20 million copies in the UK alone and are published in 27 countries. Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman won the Children's Book of the Year award in 2008 at the British Book Awards. She lives in North London with her family.