!!! SPOILER ALERT - SPOILERS AHEAD !!!
This review is apart of my "Why I Recommend" review series of Juvenile reads. Here I'll review YR books then listing reasons why I encourage the bookish community to get this book for their children, younger siblings/cousins, and students.
Targetted Audience: Young Lasses of 8yrs to Up
Ideal Ages: 11yrs, 14yrs, 23yrs+
Trigger Warnings: Nyctophobia (Fear of Darkness)
There is a moment in the book where the pages are black, and the protagonist describes the darkness and trying to get out of it for a few paragraphs.
Page Count: 281 (Hardcover) 288 (Paperback)
Illustrations?: Yes, mostly small ones throughout the pages.
Interactive?: Yes, the text styles changes whenever you book wander.
What This Journey Is About
The Bookwanderers is a story about Matilda Pages, an 11-year-old orphan who lives with her grandparents at their bookshop. She just got out of school for summer where she isn't an outcast, but doesn't have any friends. Her father died before she was born of an illness, and her mother vanished without a trace. This leaves Matilda to wonder if her mother left because of her, as the police theorized her mother became depressed after the loss of her husband and left for a new life.
Her grandparents are very loving and try their best to offer advice and guidance to Matilda, although she rarely needs it. As the story progress, and she encounters Anne of Green Gables, Alice of Wonderland, John Silver of Treasure Island, and Sarah of Little Princess, Tilly starts to unravel the mystery of her mother's disappearance. With the help of Oskar, her neighbor sort of friend, she discovers that she's half-fictional, the daughter of a fictional character in her mother's favorite book. Then she learns that her mother is alive, and trapped in said book.
The antagonist, Enoch Chalk, had trapped her mother there, as he dislikes readers and bookwanderers who don't read by the rules. Tilly's mother had broken the biggest one of them all, by becoming pregnant with Tilly from a fictional character after falling in love with them. Thankfully, Tilly and Oskar are able to break her out and it's a happy, but open-ended ending.
"Well, you never know what you might find, being in the wrong place at the right time."
Reasons I Recommend:
1. Matilda Pages - Our protagonist is a bookworm who takes pride in it. Showing that being more into books than sports isn't anything to be ashamed of. Tilly isn't an outcast in her school, nor is being bullied, but she doesn't have any friends. She's fine with this, as her loneliness mostly stems from not having parents.
2. A Relatable Protagonist - Matilda isn't super smart, or creative, breaking the bookworm stereotype, allowing her to be more relatable. Tilly is often very plain, and simple, giving room for young readers to seem themselves in her. She chants a motto of "Be brave, be kind, be curious." to herself throughout the book whenever she needs to do something courageous, or out of her comfort zone.
3. Oskar - A young boy who enjoys reading, but suffers from dyslexia. He mostly listens to audiobooks which were welcomed kindly by Matilda. Though his dyslexia was never the source of conflict or brought up as much, Oskar goes on to become a bookwanderer like Matilda. This could bring hope to those like Oskar, an avid reader with obstacles and challenges in doing so.
4. Divorced Parents - Oskar's parents are seperated, his father living in Paris where he would normally visit over the holidays but decided against it this year due to feeling like a stranger. His father is remarried, and is always busy at work that he doesn't see him as much. Theres a moment in the book wher Oskar expresses his feelings of solitude, but doesn't seem to mind it much. It was a nice moment to read, as any child in the same sitatuon can relate, and learn from Oskar's laidback example.
5. Drawing Is Art - Oskar picked up the hobby of drawing from his grandmother. Though he's very self-conscious of it at first, refusing to show anyone, and becoming uncomfortable if anyone saw them. However, there's a nice moment with Oskar and Tilly's grandmother, where she fawns over the fact that Oskar draws. She explains that it's a literary art, and a great talent to learn. After this, Oskar becomes more comfortable with showing his work and even going as far as to design something for Tilly's grandparents. There are many children nowadays who taken a keen interest in art, but sometimes parents or teachers might've squashed that dream.
6. Adults Are Trustworthy - There are a total of eight adult characters in the book, seven of them who are trustworthy and protect Tilly various times. Amelia Whispers, the magical Librarian who sided with Tilly, and vowed to protect the Pages secret-choosing friendship over her job. Her grandparents who always offered advice and guidance, even if Tilly didn't always need it. Jack, the baker who works at the bookshop who is kind and diligent in his work. Mary, Oskar's mother, who never spoke to the children as kids, but equals.
Very often would a book paint the adult as bad guys in Juvenile and YA. It's rare for there to be books and shows where adults can be trusted with your feelings and are able to help you with your problems. It's a nice hidden theme to have a child read. The antagonist was an adult, however his ill intentions were very clear from the start-never setting Tilly up in a siutation where she felt betrayed by an adult she came to trust.
7. Comfort For That Girl Whose Read It All - Bookworms gals in the odd age of 13/14yrs might sometimes feel like they've read it all, chosen one hero, magic, best friend sidekick, a boy who didn't bully her. Yet she's still too young for the themes that appear in Young Adult. I recommend this book because it doesn't have an age check, and in fact, it is a lot better to read the older you are. The magic of book wandering can transport anyone back to simpler times where homework wasn't as stressful, and your reputation wasn't being monitored by every student. A great book to get lost in happy childhood memories.
8. Easy Writing - The flow, pacing and style of the book was easy enough for a kid to read and never lose interest. The book doesn't spend too much time on details, but makes sure to leave enough for those who want a better picture of the scenery. There's never a dull moment, and every chapter always expresses something relevant to the plot. The book itself has so many secrets to uncover, but I found myself not thinking too much of it, as I was more engrossed with the magic of book wandering. For readers who are more into mystery than magic, the balance of the secrets and book wandering is evenly spread throughout the pages. Leaving something for every type of reader.
Overall, The Bookwanderers is an amazing book that I strongly believe bookworms of all ages would thoroughly enjoy. There are many messages to give to children, but it's never in your face about it, making it more natural and easier for kids to relate or take comfort in. Reading this book as an adult, I was more interested in the magic, and being transported to all these amazing classics. But I was never blind to the amount of comfort this book was offering to various kinds of children.
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