By Anna James
4Rbooks: 5/6 grades 6-8
Amazon: 4.7/5 grades 3-7
Goodreads: 4.16
Common Sense Media: Not yet reviewed.
Synopsis.
Tilly’s mom has been missing since soon after she was born. She is 11 now and lives with her grandmother and grandfather above the family bookstore, Pages and Company in London, England. She is on end-of-term break and looking forward to quiet days at the store, especially since her former best friend Grace has seemingly abandoned her for new friends.
She begins to notice some strange things at the shop. She hears conversations between her grandparents and other people but then discovers that no one else is there. She then sees and interacts with young girls in the store who look and act just like two of her favorite characters from books, Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Anne from Anne of Green Gables.
Tilly learns that she is the latest generation of bookwanderers in her family. This means she can start reading a book and then is drawn into the story, able to interact with the other characters. Her grandparents introduce her to the organization that guides the bookwanderes, and she begins to learn the rules and responsibilities. Her new friend Oskar has the ability to and they begin to go on adventures together, learning about the fun and dangers of bookwandering.
Tilly beings to learn of her mother’s love and connection to the book The Little Princess and she takes a trip into the story herself. A series of adventures follow, including excepting from the evil plans of Mr. Chalk. Tilly begins to wonder if she can solve the mystery of her missing mother.
Parent Guidelines:
Tilly’s mom disappeared soon after she was born, and she has never known her dad.
The children face the dangers of being stuck in a book forever.
The evil Mr. Chalk is trying to control all the bookwanderers and sets traps for Tilly and her family.
It is never stated explicitly, but context makes it clear the Tilly’s mother had premarital sex with the captain in The Little Princess which produced Tilly. She is ½ real and ½ fictional.
Recommendation:
Most readers, at some point or another, imagine what it would be like to be a part of the story they are reading, especially their favorites. Creative thinkers put themselves in the plot, developing mental pictures of living at Hogwarts, or visiting Hobbitown, or traveling to Narnia. This book makes that idea a reality, at least for it’s main characters.
If it wasn’t for the awkward realization of the affair between Tilly’s mom and the character of the Captain, this would be an easy recommendation for most elementary school students. It is well paced, the characters are relatable, and the mystery of bookwandering power is a fascinating concept. It is a very similar storyline to The Story Thieves by James Riley, a book I reviewed earlier this year.
It is the first book of a 6-book series so children who enjoy this first novel should continue to enjoy reading through the rest of the set. It might be a tough read for struggling readers, but they should enjoy hearing it read. Middle to advanced readers should have no issues with the text, and it is good as a group or solo read.
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