The Bookwanderers

June 1, 2019
This debut is the first in a new series about an English girl with a special ability. Matilda Pages' mother disappeared without a trace when she was a baby, and her father died before she was born. The 11-year-old bibliophile has been raised by her maternal grandparents, proprietors of Pages & Co., a cozy north London bookshop. The school holidays stretch out before her, and Tilly wants some excitement, but, as she laments, "No one has proper adventures in real life." Tilly gets the adventure of a lifetime when Anne Shirley and Alice, her favorite book characters, appear in the shop. Visits to Avonlea and the famously wacky Wonderland tea party lead Tilly to the truth: She comes from a family of bookwanderers, people who use the "natural magic of books" to travel inside works of literature and bring characters into the real world. Inquisitive and intelligent, Tilly is exceptional among bookwanderers: Some of the rules don't apply to her, but why? Tilly's literary adventures thrill, and Anne's characterization in particular is pleasingly congruent with the original character. Escobar's literary-themed silhouettes, reminiscent of Arthur Rackham's, add whimsical flourishes, although the few full-page illustrations do little. Its premise makes it an obvious, wonderful choice for book-loving readers who aren't quite ready for Inkheart's heft. Characters default to white. A loving testament to the powerful magic of books and imagination. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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July 8, 2019
Tilly, 11, has lived with her grandparents in their London bookstore, Pages and Co., since her mother’s mysterious disappearance shortly after Tilly’s birth. Tilly struggles to make friends but finally begins to connect with her neighbor Oskar. After she discovers her mother’s box of favorite books, two of Tilly’s favorite characters, L.M. Montgomery’s Anne and Lewis Carroll’s Alice, show up at the shop, and Tilly realizes that she is a bookwanderer: someone who “reads a bit harder than most people” and can be transported inside the story. Together, Tilly and Oskar learn the complicated rules of bookwandering from Tilly’s grandparents and the staff of the Underlibrary, which exists beneath the British Museum. One employee, Enoch Chalk, follows Tilly through various books, and his creepy ways raise her suspicions. As she and Oskar investigate the truth about Chalk, they uncover more about Tilly’s mother, as well as the dangers and magic of bookwandering. Tilly’s friendship struggles and love of reading ground James’s imaginative debut and, together with satisfying twists and a well-constructed bookwanderer’s mythology, create an affectionate ode to books and book lovers. Ages 8–12.

October 7, 2019

Gr 5-7-Tilly is an 11-year-old orphan who lives with her grandparents, owners of the magical bookstore Pages & Co. Her adventure begins during winter break when she explores the bookstore and notices unusual characters among the stacks. Her grandparents are alarmed at these sightings because they know these characters materialize out of books-they are fiction made real. They soon suspect that Tilly is able to bookwander, which means she can travel back and forth between the real world and the world of fiction. She especially likes to bookwander with Anne Shirley, of "Anne of Greene Gables," because she feels kinship with her as an orphan. But can Tilly bookwander to find her long-lost family? Readers will want to become familiar with the literary characters Tilly meets. Tilly's grandfather succinctly puts the importance of books into perspective. He says, "The books we love when we're growing up shape us in a special way...The characters in the books we read help us decide who we want to be." VERDICT James's debut will speak to the heart of bibliophiles and is highly recommended for readers young and old. An important reminder of the centrality of stories in shaping our lives.-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Grades 3-7 Since her mother's disappearance, 11-year-old Tilly Pages has been raised by her grandparents in their London bookshop, Pages & Co. She doesn't question her origins until the day she witnesses her grandma speaking to one Lizzie Bennet. Soon afterwards, she comes upon her grandad sitting with Sherlock Holmes. After Tilly herself is visited by Anne Shirley (of Green Gables) and Alice (of Wonderland fame), she learns that she comes from a family of bookwanderers, people so intensely connected to books that they can enter story worlds and interact with fictional characters. As Tilly delves deeper into the secret?and increasingly dangerous?world of bookwanderers, the mysteries of her parentage unravel. Well-read youngsters will thrill in joining Tilly as she visits such beloved classics as Treasure Island and A Little Princess. Steeped in magical world building, James' debut pays loving testament to the power of books, and it functions well as a stand-alone adventure while setting the stage for future installments of enormous potential.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)