This was an absolutely outstanding children's novel. New children's novelists are few and far between, especially ones who make such an amazing splash with their debut novel as Anna James has here, but she's captured the beauty of childhood immensely. I loved it.

What a fantastic middle grade adventure! The woven in characters make it so original, and my 9 year old niece loves it as much as I do

A book I wished I had as a child. I absolutely adored reading about Tilly and her Book wandering adventures. A super cosy and heart warming read that will leave you nostalgic for all of your old favourite childhood reads

A wonderfully bookish adventure, that I would bet money on becoming a classic children's book in the years to come. It did not disappoint, although I was sad that I can’t wander into the books I am reading.

Pages and Co was a brilliant opening to what I expect to be an adventure filled series. It uses the same concept of reading ourselves into stories and characters out of them - like my all time favourite book Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - and gives the reader a really magical and atmospheric story.
With a heavy focus on getting to grips with how the book wandering world works and establishing the villain, I feel that the next book is only going to be even better! I felt that Anna James used all the existing book characters well, with Alice from Wonderland and Anne from Anne of Green Gables being the most prominent. It made me want to dive right into their stories, that I wasn’t as familiar with.
There was a lot of charm to the book shop setting, and I’m a sucker for books where grandparents play a prominent role. Everything about Tilly’s life was enviable, from her powers to the delicious desserts the resident baker of the book shop made for her.
Something about the style of the book felt a hidden of old-fashioned, maybe because the books Tilly travelled into had to be out of copyright, and so at least one hundred years old! It felt unique, bordering historical and contemporary.
I’m really looking forward to Tilly’s next adventures, and seeing her friend Oskar hopefully play a bigger part in them, as it’s always better with a companion! 4/5 stars, and a strong recommendation to anyone that wishes they lived in a bookshop - or even a book for that matter.

This was a magical little book filled with great characters and wonder. I’m so happy to see how many people have championed it, looking forward to the next instalment.

This book completely blew me away. There’s no other way to go about it. It was astounding. Indescribably incredible. I loved it with all my heart. MORE PLEASE. The world was great, the plot was intriguing, the characters were adorable and I haven’t felt this way about a book since reading Harry Potter. This is the real deal, guys.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

I had heard so much hype for this incredibly sweet middle grade novel and knew I had to have it. I love books about books so I was bound to fall in love with Pages and Co., but I don’t think I could have anticipated how much I’d adore it.

Pages and Co. Is the kind of book that hits you straight in the childhood and bookworm feels. James does an amazing job of pulling the reader straight into the book’s setting by making it feel so familiar and comfortable. The bookshop Pages and Co. has the most wonderful world building in that it feels like somewhere we’ve all been — it’s as though every amazing bookshop you’ve ever visited was rolled into one gorgeous place. I’m a little sad that it doesn’t actually exist because I’d love to go and spend an afternoon or two there.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised by how well constructed the plot of Pages and Co. was. Every reader wants to tumble into their favourite book and I feel that these kinds of stories aren’t anything new. It would have been really easy to just lean into the nostalgia and the fantasy of book wandering without developing much in the way of story, however James managed to make the plot of Pages and Co. really stand out as something special and fresh. There’s so much more going on here than just book wandering — although I absolutely loved learning more about the rules and regulations of book wandering and how one’s abilities manifest. The detail around this magic is absolutely wonderful and it compliments the plot so well. The mystery of Tilly’s mum’s disappearance is so incredibly gripping and adds an amazing element of mystery to the story.

If you love reading, books, fierce heroines, friendships between boys and girls, or books all about family, you’ll absolutely love Pages and Co. It’s an absolute charming read that I can see myself returning to again and again. If I had this book as a child, I think it would have been just as influential as books like Harry Potter or The Phantom Tollbooth.

Pages & co perfectly captures the enchantment and joy of reading like no other book I can recall. The first page draws you into a world of literary wonder and kept me hooked until the final word. I will be gifting to every mini-bookworm I know this Christmas.

A book lover's delight. This was like a big, warm hug of a book. I adored it from the very first page. I loved the character of Tilly, but it was the bookshop, Pages & Co that I lost my heart to in this enchanting tale where your favourite characters come to life. As an avid Anne of Green Gables fan I was really excited that Tilly's favourite character would be Anne Shirley, and I felt that Anna James did her justice beautifully. It was pure escapism, magical and a sheer delight. Can't wait for the sequel! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy from the publishers, but opinions are my own.

This novel reminded me, in all the best ways, of children's books I'd loved as a child yet it manages to fuse nostalgia and references to classic children's literature to create a fresh, exciting story. Warm, heartening, and magical with likeable characters.

A wonderful tale of adventure with Tilly and the Bookwanderers. This book is very much about setting the scene of forthcoming books, introducing you to the characters (both good and bad, and some I'm still not too sure about!). An enjoyable tale and I am looking forward to seeing what Anna James does with this in the future.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers is one of those books were as a book lover you can't help but feel a little jealous of the main character, Tilly has a chance to meet all her favourite characters in real life and can even go into their books.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers is about so much more than magic though, it is about friendship and family and how you can be supported by these in different ways. Tilly's friendship with Oskar is strong and the reader sees it grow throughout the book.

I feel the book had an important message about having dyslexia and that you can still enjoy reading with it, it took a very positive stance on this with the characters family and friends supporting them.

The relationship between Tilly and her grandparents is strong and the book deals with the grief of not knowing your father at all and barely knowing your mother before she has left. Tilly and the bookwanderers is sure to give everyone feelings and you can't help but fall inlove with all the characters.

*ARC received from Harpercollins UK via netgalley and all opinion are my own*

There are some books that you just want to curl up and live in. Not only is Tilly and the Book Wanderers one of these books, but it also shows you a world where you can do just that! Throughout the book, Tilly explores some of her favourite books, much beloved children's classics such as Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Seeing the characters from the books interacting with Tilly and her family was a wonderful part of this book. Alice was perfect and I loved the glimpses of Lizzy Bennett and Sherlock Holmes even if they weren't named.

The best part of this book was definitely the bookshop though. It was definitely my dream bookshop. Tilly gets to live in this amazing independent bookshop with winding shelves full of books and loads of comfy chairs and sofas. Add in a cafe where you can get delicious often book inspired cake and hot chocolate whenever you want and book characters occasionally popping up for a chat? Tilly is truly living any bookworm's dream.

The plot was excellent as well. All the mystery around Tilly's mother and the little details that were scattered throughout the book that led to the thrilling conclusion were fantastic and though it was maybe a little predicatble, it had enough surprises to throw at me and a really satisfying conclusion.

I can't wait for the next book in the Pages & Co. Series.

Books about books have the tendency to either be totally magical, and let you feel you've found a kindred spirit, or a little bit pretentious, so I was nervous on picking up Pages and Co. However, this is firmly in the former camp, and is a really delightful love letter to books and reading, with a very entertaining story underneath it! 

This book is so sweet! Tilly, who lives with her grandparents in a wonderful independent bookshop, discovers that she can talk to characters from her favourite books, and visit them in their worlds. The bookshop itself is lovingly described - actually, the whole book feels filled with love. It's enjoyable for its own plot, so will be entertaining for children even if they haven't read the source material, but also really enjoyable as an adult looking back on the magic of reading, and those books in particular. I hope it fires up kids to read some of the classics mentioned. 

There is a mystery central to the plot, so I will try to avoid spoilers. Tilly has never given up hope that her mum, who went missing when she was a baby, will come back. Tilly's new talents of book wandering become the key to unravelling this mystery, via a jaw-droppingly cool underground library and a series of shocking revelations about her family. I loved watching the mystery unfold. I did feel that once the big reveal had happened, the book wrapped up too quickly, without a proper resolution, but this is clearly intended to be a series, so I understand why not everyone got their comeuppance. It was a little jarring though - you know when you're reading and you look at how much there is left, and you know there isn't enough time to fix everything..? This book does that in bucket-loads. It's not a cliff-hanger, per se, just a rather abrupt wrap up.

But the magic of this book is in the talent of book wandering. It's a paean to those books that changed your life as a child. There are some books that you just meet at the right time, and they touch your soul, and make you into a new person. I've never stopped rereading my children's books - several of them must be at 30+ reads, and they're the only dog-eared books I have on my shelves! I love reading new MG for many reasons (mostly because it's so much less depressing than YA or adult!), but certain books that I first read as a kid have not only got a special place in my heart, they made themselves a piece of my heart. In my review of Tempests and Slaughter, I talked about this a little - how I modelled myself on certain characters and made them part of my life. Just imagine if I could have hung out with them, and grown up by their sides for real...

I would have loved to hang out with Anne of Green Gables as a child (though as an adult, don't you think you'd be a bit sad to always have to stand next to such captivating beauty?). Chatting to Elizabeth Bennet, like Tilly's grandmother does, would be so much fun, and I probably would have given my left arm to sit and work on cases with Sherlock Holmes, like Tilly's grandfather. You can most easily wander into books that you have a strong connection with, and this family has very similar tastes to mine! I think I'd most like to spend an afternoon in Patricia C Wrede's Enchanted Forest - have cider with Morwen, help Kazul translate Latin, make chocolate mousse with Cimorene... Either that or attend knight school with Alanna, or help Sophie clean up Howl's mess... Imagine attending a Hogwarts Yule Ball! 

The possibilities for book wandering are endless, and that's part of the charm of this book. It's very, very enjoyable as a story in its own right. But the magic of it is how it reawakens that all-consuming love of books that you felt as a child. It's exquisitely done, and I can't wait to see more of Tilly's adventures. I highly recommend if you love, or have ever loved, books - even if you don't usually read MG.

Four out of five stars(due only to that very abrupt ending).

Absolutely loved this book! It’s full of mystery and magic and is perfect for booklovers young and old!

Tilly lives with her grandparents in the bookshop that they run - Pages & Co. Her mother disappeared some years ago, her best friend has ditched her and her plan for the summer holidays is to bury herself in books and the bookshop. But she keeps seeing odd people around the shop, chatting to her grandparents and then vanishing again, and a girl called Alice has taken her to a very odd tea party with a Mad Hatter. It turns out that she and her family are Book Wanderers, and a trip to the UnderLibrary at the British Library leads her into the adventures she was hoping for, as well as solidifying a new friendship with Oscar, son of the cafe owner from over the road.

Aspects of the book felt a little like a children's version of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, in a good way! The list at the end of which characters came from each book was a nice touch, and there was just enough mild peril in the adventures to make it fun. I also very much liked the structure of the UnderLibrary and the gradual reveal of details about it and the family's involvement was good. It's a really enjoyable book, and will be added to the potential Christmas presents for my 9 year old niece!

Thanks for Net Galley for the ARC.

I haven’t read a middle grade book in a long time and I had forgotten how much I enjoy middle grade fantasy novels. This novel gave me that magical feeling I use to get when reading books such as The Magic Faraway Tree and made me feel very nostalgic of my childhood, which definitely contributed to my enjoyment of the book.

This novel follows the story of 11 year old Tilly who lives with her Grandparents, after the mysterious disappearance of her mother when she was a baby. Her grandparents own a bookstore and one day when Tilly is helping her grandparents to organise their annual book party she finds Anne from Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Alice in Wonderland in the store. From this encounter she finds out that her grandparents have been keeping a secret from her, that she is a book wanderer. She has the ability to read herself into stories as well as bring the characters of those books into the real world. However, while her new power is magical it is also dangerous and Tilly must be careful especially when she decided to find out the real reason behind her mother’s disappearance.

Tilly reminds me a lot of me when I was 11. Her love of books, wanting to escape into their worlds and feeling like she connects with fictional characters more than real people. I loved her relationship with her grandparents and her friendship with Oskar, the son of one of her mother’s friends, and the way that their love of reading connects them.

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that it has a lot of info dumps throughout it.

Overall I adored the premise of this book and really connect with Tilly and her love of books. This is a magical book that I think book readers of all ages will love and I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

This is a fantastic story which I loved so much that I have bought a hard copy of it. Definitely a keeper and I look forward to reading future stories as they are written. It contains all of my favourite things, books, magic, bookshops, so I suggest that everyone who becomes involved in the books they read gives this a go; you will be hooked.

Ahh, now this took me back to my childhood! I know I would've marvelled at the simply adorable story, an inspirational, indomitable heroine and more books than you can shake a stick at, had this book been around in my formative years. I see that this is the first in a new series which makes me very happy. It's also Anna James's debut, I can see why she has chosen to continue this as a series - the premise is one that book lovers of any and all ages will find beautifully compelling, I know I did.

This is a perfect tale for those who love both magic and books, and they are brought together in a wonderful way in 'Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers'. Essentially, it is the story of youngster Tilly and her ability to 'bookwander' - where characters can come to life and jump from off the page and into the real world. It also allows readers to join their favourite fictional characters in the world portrayed in the book in which they feature. As if that wasn't enough bookish goodness, Tilly's grandparents, with whom she lives since the disappearance of her mother, own a North London bookshop. It was in said shop that Tilly had her first wandering experience and where she initially encountered classic children's characters. With the help of Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland. Tilly is determined to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago, so she bravely steps into the unknown, unsure of what adventure lies ahead and what dangers she may face.

Well, this was a thrill-a-minute and adventure aplenty, it also has some important messages on friendship. I am sure that this will appeal not only to youngsters but adults, too. I am certainly a lot older than the recommended reading age, but I absolutely loved this! So much so, that I am already eagerly anticipating the follow-up. There is no doubt that this was written by a book lover for other bibliophiles to enjoy - there are many descriptions that only the bookish would delight in. It portrays accurately the intense and magical feelings you get when reading a timeless tale. Nostalgic and imaginative, this is a superb debut!

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK - Children's for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.