By author Anna James and illustrator Paola Escobar (HarperCollins)
This is a truly delightful book that argues for keeping libraries and bookshops (but I can’t tell you why!).
Tilly lives with her grandparents in their bookshop ‘Pages & Co’. Her father is dead and her mother disappeared when she was a baby.
She is an avid reader who likes nothing more than curling up on the sofa on the third floor of the shop with a good book.
But strange things start happening as Tilly begins seeing and hearing her grandparent’s ‘friends’, who seem to be able to just…disappear.
Then she meets ‘friends’ of her own who take her on some unexpected journeys.
I really don’t want to give too much away, but to say that she has the kind of adventures any book lover would want is certainly an understatement!
Despite the fantastical elements of the tale, such as “book magic”, the characters are realistic and convincing, and the story as it unravels with twists and turns is a real joy.
The idea of a world map with lights for every library and bookshop is intriguing and I’m sure something we could all do with!
The story also draws in characters from classic literature, and I would hope that it might inspire some readers to give those books a try as well.
I know I would love to become a bookwanderer, but I hope I would remember the rules….you’ll have to read it to find out why though!
