Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
Ill. by Paola Escobar. Pages and Co. Book 1. HarperCollins,
2018. ISBN 9780008229863
(Ages 9-12) Recommended. Themes: Literary characters. Booksellers.
Mystery. Missing persons. Anna James introduces a truly wonderful
world where you can step into your favourite books and interact with
much-loved literary characters.
Eleven-year-old Tilly's mother mysteriously disappeared just after
she gave birth to her daughter and ever since Tilly's been living with
her loving grandparents above their bookshop 'Pages and Co.' She
loves to immerse herself in her favourite stories, hidden in in the
nooks and crannies, settled on a bean bag or visiting with Jack who
runs the little cafe. He loves to experiment with food, making
delicious literary inspired treats.
Tilly arrives home from school dripping wet; it's holiday time and
she's prepared for a rather lonely week, with lots of reading and
conversations with Jack. When she discovers a dusty cardboard box
with her mother's name on the label, Tilly's world is turned upside
down. Her favourite book characters Alice in Wonderland and Anne of
Green Gables appear in the bookshop. Tilly discovers an amazing
ability: she can bookwander into any story she chooses.
There are whimsical moments and interesting encounters with the
Avonlea characters. With the help of her friend Oskar Roux who loves
reading even though he has dyslexia, they venture into Wonderland
and Treasure Island. Mysterious and slightly sinister Enoch Chalk is
the enforcer. He keeps the strict rules of bookwandering, making
sure that that no-one is left in a book or forms relationships with
the characters. Will Tilly uncover the mystery of her mother's
disappearance and find the truth about her birth father?
Anna James' imaginative and magical novel authentically captures the
voices of fictional characters and their worlds. There is a warmth
and cosiness to her bookshop setting and an intriguing and
mysterious darker layer in the 'Underlibrary'. Paola Escobar's black
and white line drawings spring up throughout adding drama and
excitement. This is the first in a trilogy and it does rely on the
reader's prior knowledge of classic children's books. It also sets
up the extensive rules of bookwandering.
Tilly and the Bookwanderers is an exciting junior novel just
right for readers who have enjoyed classic children's novels and
love the wonder of being drawn into the magic of books.
Rhyllis Bignell