Archie Greene longs for adventures but foresees a lonely, boring holiday stuck at home with his Gran. But when a mysterious old book arrives on his twelfth birthday, Archie’s world transforms from mundane to extraordinary. Within days, Archie is living in Oxford with his zany relatives and has a job as an apprentice to Zeb, a strange and magical bookbinder.

But that’s just the beginning. Archie is soon caught up in a parallel universe of enchanted whispering books and magical librarians. Together with his exuberant cousins he sets out to solve a mystery but the challenge is in finding who to trust – nothing is as it appears. This is a magical adventure story – think of Harry Potter with a touch of Enid Blyton. It’s perfect for independent readers 9 years and up and an ideal read-aloud for the whole family.

Athina Clarke