The Fox and the Ghost King

by Michael Morpurgo

A delightful tale of victory against all odds from master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo, lavishly illustrated by Michael Foreman. “Every fox in the whole town, in the whole country just about, is a football fan… And we all have an impossible dream.” In a cosy den under a garden shed lives a family of foxes. They love to watch football – all foxes do. But their favourite team keeps losing and losing, and it seems like things will never look up. That is, until Daddy Fox finds the ghost of a king, buried underneath a car park. A king who wishes only to be free. “Release me,” says the Ghost King, “and I can do anything. Just tell me your greatest wish.” For these football-loving foxes, might everything be about to change…?

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Novels, Audiobook, Short Stories

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 22, 2016

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.

Reviews

[Damian Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a riveting read and wonderful at engaging football mad kids into reading. The story is really gripping and brilliantly moulded into manageable sized chapters. The plot is fast moving and keeps you wanting to read on. It also cleverly grabs your attention to want to find out more about this period in history. The story of the ghost king found under the car park is gripping for adults and children alike. Michael Morpurgo expertly uses animals, in this case a family of foxes to weave a thoroughly magical and yet believable tale about winning when it seems impossible. I loved this book for its brilliant story telling and vivid illustrations by Michael Foreman which really brought it to life.



case

[Patrick Sherriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good enough, but very short. My proper review is here: http://patricksherriff.com/2019/12/23...

[Oscar Lye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yorkist propaganda (this review was made by the Henry Tudor gang)

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fox and the Ghost King was a heart-warming and very charming story. Morpurgo captured what an achievement Leicester City winning the league was, combined with the incredible discovery of the remains of Richard III to create a truly wonderful and uplifting tale. The illustrations that accompanied it were cute and well suited to the narrative. At the end, there was a small bit of information about Leicester City F.C, along with King Richard III and the Wars of the Roses which was a nice inclusion.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, much more than I was expecting to. It was a lovely story that really encapsulated the magic of both the league win and the incredibly unlikely unearthing of an English king from a car park in Leicester. The Fox and the Ghost King was a quick but adorable read that I would certainly recommend.

Rating - 4/5
★★★★

There is also a link to this review on my blog here!

[Thebruce1314 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Michael Morpurgo's books, and the Foxes are kind of an institution in our house (thanks grandad), so I was pretty excited to find this book! While it's a cute story, I was pretty disappointed with the simplicity of it. The font is huge and the margins are wider than the text; the whole thing took me about ten minutes to read, without exaggeration. I know it is a book for children, obviously, but come on ... this could have been marketed as a picture book rather than a chapter book.
I hope that my son enjoys it for the content, and a little lesson in history. Go Les-tah!

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another gem from Michael Morpurgo.

[17sikoraz213 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a family of foxes who love to watch football. However, their favourite team is currently losing. One day, the dad of the family finds a Ghost King who says he will do anything for the dad to let him free. This makes the family very excited because they will not be disappointed with how their team are playing. I didn’t find this book very interesting because it was very short, I would improve this book by making it longer so that there are more events to intrigue the reader. However, the ending of the book makes the reader happy for the family as their team are starting to win.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this short chapter book with a fourth-grade multilingual learner who loves soccer.

We are in the US, so we did learn quite a bit of "chiefly British" vocabulary in this book (not just car park and rubbish, but also argy-bargy!). My student knew all about the Premier League, so I think he enjoyed the story well enough and was especially interested in the nonfiction material at the back of the book.

I enjoyed the father fox's indignation at Richard III's rudeness, and his insistence that onions smell wonderful (and therefore, so do foxes).

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful bit of whimsy combining the story of a family of foxes who live in Leicester, and cheer for the Leicester football team, and the ghost of King Richard the Third.

If I had young grandchildren, I would read them this story. Or better yet, would encourage them to read it themselves.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story for 6 year old son about how the foxes found Richard 3 under the car park and thereby solved the fate of Leicester City FC.

[Clemmie Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written book with lovely illustrations. The story of a family of foxes who are big football fans and will do anything to see their team win! Not one of my favourite Morpurgo storylines but still a lovely little novel for children. Great lessons in history (Shakespeare, King Richard III, football teams).

[Isabel Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good

[Pol B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book for fox lovers and also for history and football fans !
The book covers both Leicester FC’s success and the discovery of Richard the third’s grave in a Leicester car park. The best bits are the conversations between the foxes!

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foxes love football, especially Leicester City FC!

It’s a known fact that all foxes support Leicester City! Unfortunately, only those living near the stadium can watch their matches. Why? Because Leicester City FC is known as The Foxes!

This is the story of a little cub who is not only the eldest of the litter but also the peskiest who nags his father into letting him accompany him to the matches (his father never misses one).

One night, returning home from a match they decide that their hunger will not last ‘til they reach their burrow so stop to dig for some worms. While digging to find the biggest, juiciest worms, they hear a faint call asking for their help. Who could possibly be calling to them when they can’t see a soul nearby? A Ghost? Yes!

What a delightful combination! Foxes supporting their team Leicester City! Leicester City Football team pulling off one of the greatest wins in football history and let’s not forget the discovery of the burial place of King Richard III and all the excitement this find had in the historical world and of course, being able to finally give the king the burial he deserved.

Michael Morpurgo is an author who can capture the imagination of children from five to ninety-five! This very short little story will help these “children of all ages” learn that foxes do have feelings and are not just vermin and it also helps to give a gentle push to the reader to discover more about King Richard III and Leicester City FC.

I’m so pleased that I’m still a child at heart and get to read this remarkable author’s stories.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

[Abby Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a novel about a family of foxes who support Leicester City FC. One night after attending a match, they come across a strange voice coning from underground in a car park. This is the story of how the foxes dig out Richard III and in doing so, bless Leicester City with their first Premier League win
This novel is partly fantasy fiction and partly historical fiction. The body of Richard III was uncovered under a car park in Leicester and Leicester City FC did recently win the Premiership.
This book would be great for year 3 children. It's not intimidating for younger children, there is no so much writing on a page, with illustrations to keep the reader enticed. The language is welcoming to children who love to read about things that are relative to themselves or funny e.g. pizza crusts, chips,
'smelly old den'.
The references to historical events could be used for a variety of lessons within school. Historically, they did find Richard III, but there are a lot of references to Shakespeare and his portrayal of the king in Richard III.
If you had child football fans, this would also be a popular book. At the beginning of the novel, it starts with a newspaper article, first about the fox sightings, (Leicester City's mascots are foxes) finishing with an article about Leicester City's victory. A teacher could have the children do their own articles, connecting ideas across themes. They could look at ideas relating to sportsmanship, superstition or support.

[Book Gannet · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a young football fan in your life who can tell you that Football + Foxes = Leicester City, then this might be the read for them. Even if they aren’t a big fan of football, this fun tale combines foxes with sport, history and even a touch of Shakespeare as it provides a supernatural reason for why the underdogs won the Premiere League last season.

It’s a quick read, wonderfully illustrated throughout by Michael Foreman, where a young and plucky fox goes to a football match with his dad, discovers a lost king and wins the kind of reward many, many football fans can only dream of.

If I’m honest I would have liked a bit more to have happened between the foxes and the ghost, but as it stands it’s fun and fast and cleverly ties up some of the more unusual occurrences in the city of Leicester over recent years.

Great for those who like football as well as those more interested in real foxes, and witty enough for adults to enjoy too.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Gaynor Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I am a little older than the intended readership of this book, but I can imagine that any 6 year old, especially a football-mad 6 year old, and especially especially one who supports Leicester City, would really enjoy this little book. Over one hundred years after they were formed, and against 5000 to 1 odds, Leicester City won the football league. How did this happen? Might it have something to do with a ghostly king and a family of foxes...? Michael Morpugo is a great author and this is a lovely book.

[Kerrie Durkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely short read. Another Murpurgo book written in the first person with animals as the main characters. This was one of the first Murpurgo books my son read independently, at the age of 7. He loved it and I have only got round to reading it myself 3 years later.

I would recommend this book to any child but as an educator I recommend this to many young boys who are football daft but show little interest in reading, as it captures their passion for football as well is firing the imagination.

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful tale from the talented team of Morpurgo and Foreman. It's a mix of fox, football, a royal ghost and a little Shakespeare for good measure. These foxes love football and the local team believes this fox family bring them good luck. But when they hear the voice of a king long gone, they help their favourite footy team even more!

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story of the mighty foxes LCFC winning a fairytail season & becoming premier league champions combined with the story of finding King Richard 3rd. Lovely story written for children but adults will love it too, especially if from Leicester.

[17bushellk003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. It wad an animal ghost adventure story and a these foxe's meet a ghost who is a was a king and wants his bones to be found it was unusual yet good .however at points it was a bit boring at points.I'd recommend it to girls and boys if hey like animals or michael morpurgo .

[Tommy Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

11 year old review

I liked t g at it was easy to read and a good story which had foxes and football in it

[Duncan Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute charming book! Small and simple, but tells a beautiful sweet tale of a family of foxes who love Soccer!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4/5

My favourite childhood book. The Fox and the Ghost King blends the love for football and foxes, and follows a heart-warming story of a fox family going on a short adventure and meeting an intriguing ghost.

This book is very short and can be read in one sitting, which is, for me, my favourite way of briefly stepping back into childhood - it's a classic.

The Morpurgo's writing shapes the story and helps it flow is admirable and crucial for children's books. It is thanks to Morpurgo that I fell in love with books - his way with words is what keeps me hooked. This book does not stray from his style; the way information is not directly told, but instead shown, is crucial for shaping the imagination of young minds and creating a beautiful story.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book for a quick read, whether for a child or teenager of adult, because I can guarantee you will not regret it.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great children's story and means of imparting history to the young.
This story is told from the perspective of a football-crazed family of foxes living near the excavation site of Richard the Thirds skeletal remains.
The story is told in such a beautifully simplistic way that it introduces the reader to historical facts, geography, literary figures, culture and sport without being directly educational or obvious. At the end of the book there are also a few pages telling in greater depth the basic history of King Richard and the Foxes football team. It's all written in the language of a child, though, so they aren't turned off, but rather intrigued by it all and subconsciously absorbing historical facts. Well done. A very quick, interesting read and one I would highly recommend

[Charlotte (Escapades of a Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews can also be found on my blog Escapades of a Bookworm

This was a beautiful clever story that impeccably ties up two of the biggest stories of Leicester in 2016 – the finding of Richard III and winning the football.

Michael Morpurgo captures the imagination and in a short space of time creates a curiosity to find out more about foxes, Richard III and archaeology. And maybe, just maybe gain an interest in football? The possibilities are endless.

A clever story that shows that anything is possible. A heartfelt and captivating allure completes this small book.

[Starless One · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little fairytale for football fans and animal lovers, especially those from Leicester. As someone who's lived just down the road from Richard III's famous car park, I loved to read about his 'involvement' in Leicester City's unforgettable championship.

I took one star off because the appendix includes incorrect information about the Wars of the Roses - e.g. Richard's title, he was Duke of Gloucester, not Duke of York - and due to the fact that the book could have been much longer. I read it in an hour.

4/5 stars for lovely writing, beautiful illustrations, a unique story and Leicester, of course!

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for young readers (girls and boys ages 6 to 9) who love British football (soccer). It reads like a fairy tale about a family of foxes who are big fans of the Leicester City Football Club, known as the Foxes. In a note by the author at the end, the parts about King Richard III ('the ghost king") and the Leicester City FC are all based on actual events.

Michael Morpurgo is a master storyteller. The story is enhanced by Michael Foreman's adorable illustrations of the fox family's adventures. Fun to read!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute short story from Michael Morpurgo, about the year the Leicester city won the league and the remains of Richard III were found under a car park in the city.

I didn’t actually realise that the two events happened so close to each other, and you have to admit that it is a hell of a coincidence that they did happen so close to one another but it does make a very cute story.

Morpurgo’s books are always really accessible and good for someone who is maybe just starting to read independently but this story could easily be read aloud as well.

[Hildie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a combination of two of my favorite things: King Richard III and Football (soccer)! It's a light and easy read for an adult, and is just perfect for early elementary school readers. If you have a soccer fan in your house, this is the true story of both the discovery of King Richard's body and the tale of the improbable Foxes of Leicester City F.C. - all told through a family of foxes, in a fun and uplifting way. The illustrations in this book are lavish and lovely and very nicely illuminate the tale. This is a delightful read for any soccer fan!