Tilly Pages arrives home sopping wet on the last day of term. Pages and Co., the bookshop where she lives, is run by her grandparents, who are also her guardians ever since her mother, Beatrice, mysteriously disappeared not long after Tilly’s birth.

The shop is a multi-level affair and even has a small café, which is run by Jack, who conjures up literary-themed sweets. Tilly’s holidays are looking solitary, tea- and sweet-filled, and likely to involve hiding in a good book – until Tilly discovers a box of books buried at the back of the pantry. The contents of which set off a chain of events and a rollicking adventure.

Peppered by appearances of favourite book characters both recent and old, as well as fun characters of Anna James’s own creation (‘sidekick’ Oskar Roux is a particularly favourite), Tilly and the Bookwanderers blurs the line between reality and fantasy. It’s a love letter to getting lost in a good book.

James has created an exciting world that I can’t wait to explore further. But, for now, I’m going to be diving in for a second helping and maybe even a detour into a classic or two.

Ford Thomas is part of the online Readings team.