The Missing Bookshop

by Katie Clapham, Kirsti Beautyman (Illustrator)

Milly loves going to story time at her local bookshop. Mrs Minty is an encyclopedia of books and knows the perfect story for every occasion ... tales of mischievous children and faraway lands, magical beasts and daring adventures. But the bookshop is old and creaky, just like Mrs Minty herself. And then one day Milly arrives to find the shop gone. What has happened to Mrs Minty and her irreplaceable bookshop?

A warm and uplifting tale about the importance of stories.

Part of a range of simple stories for new readers, with beautiful colour illustrations.

Genres: Books About Books, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Chapter Books

96 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2019

About the author

Katie graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing and an MA in Poetic Practice.

After spending three years working in editorial production for an orthopaedic research journal, Katie left London to do some soul searching on the Isle of Skye in the depths of winter. When she came back she opened a bookshop with her mum in her home town of Lytham St. Annes (Storytellers, Inc., December 2010). Named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2011 and Young Bookseller of the Year in 2012, Storytellers, Inc. has been nominated for Bookseller Industry Awards seven times over four years. Katie sits on the executive committees of the BA Children’s Book Group and for World Book Day, and reviews books every month for Booktrust and BBC Radio Lancashire. Through Storytellers, Inc., Katie produces an annual calendar of picture book illustration, and a companion KS1 project that is delivered to classrooms across the country in collaboration with other bookshops.

She is also a freelance copy-editor and proof-reader and much prefers working on children’s books to research papers about hip replacement surgery.

Reviews

[Caterina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Στηρίξτε τα βιβλιοπωλεία της γειτονιάς!
Support your local bookshops!

[stefiereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an adorable book and story! So simple and touching 🤎 I adore it!

[Despoina Paschalidou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Όμορφη, λιτή εικονογράφηση!

[Jessica Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so sweet!!

My sister loved it when I read it to her, and she's read it through twice more since then!

[Mady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who could resist a book with this title?

Milly goes to the local bookshop for story time and to buy books when she’s managed to save enough from her pocket money. But one day the bookshop is closed. Without knowing what has happened, Milly gets very worried about Mrs Minty, the old lady who runs the bookshop.

This was such a lovely book and I loved the illustrations as well!

[Dzulka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fajna napiszę za nie długo własną książkę. ~Julka

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little book about a girl who loves books and her local bookshop. Longer than a picture book, but doable in one sitting.

[Frieda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I read it, I knew that I had to read it again with my granddaughter.

[Melissa Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I love every single thing about this book. The illustrations, the diverse characters, the homage paid to one of my favorite children's books of all time (Matilda) and the story of how a little girl helped save her iconic local bookshop.

[Lokum Çocuk Kutuphanesi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adında kitap(çı) geçtiği için ilgimi çekmişti, baskısı muhteşem :)
Hikâye sevimli ancak ortalamadan öteye geçememiş.
Kitaplara, kitapçılara dair kitaplara özel bir sevginiz varsa sarılmak isteyebilirsiniz.
Özel bir ilginiz yoksa çok da emin değilim :)

[michella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel kinda related to Milly. I know how she felt toward her most favorite bookshop is about to close. And it is irreplaceable. The illustration is calming my mind. The storyline is simple but can attach the reader's emotion.

[Mou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story really touched my heart. Toward the end, I became very emotional! It strongly reminded me of my own childhood—buying books from a small shop with money I saved, on my way back from school. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

[Blue vas Normandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dla dziecka idealna, chociaż króciutka.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Po prostu urocza 🥺

[Carlotta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Bookshop is a book about a girl who visits a bookshop every week and formed a very strong friendship with elderly owner. One day the bookshop closed and the girl got very sad. Luckily the bookshop re-opened and new friendships were formed. I liked the book because it showed many generations of a family. I also liked the book because it was a book about books.

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and the illustrations were gorgeous. A short story that highlights the acceptance of time passing and things getting old and creaky, while also giving hope and determination that some things won't change. I liked how you could see all the generations being affected and getting involved.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story and the illustrations. Any booklover will enjoy this easy chapter book!

[Μαριάννα Κουμαριανού · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ξεκίνησα να διαβάζω αυτό το βιβλίο… Εξωτερικά θύμιζε μυθιστόρημα για παιδιά. Μέσα, εικονογραφημένη ιστορία. Τι από όλα είναι;

Διαβάζοντας ταυτίστηκα κατευθείαν με την ηρωίδα. Όχι μόνο με την μικρή Μίλλυ, που πήγαινε συνέχεια να ακούει να αφηγούνται παραμύθια και ιστορίες αλλά και με την κυρία Μίντι, που δεν έκανε τίποτα άλλο από το να διαβάζει στα παιδιά παραμύθια.

Κινητή βιβλιοθήκη την έλεγαν την κυρία Μίντι. Ήξερε όλα τα βιβλία απ’ έξω! Είχε να προτείνει για τον καθένα το καταλληλότερο βιβλίο.

Πολύ νωρίς, κάτι άρχισε να αλλάζει… Το «σκηνικό» άρχισε να γίνεται μουντό και να ξεθωριάζει και στο μυαλό της Μίλλυ άρχισαν να τριγυρίζουν άσχημες σκέψεις. Φόβοι ότι μπορεί το βιβλιοπωλείο και η κυρία Μίντι να μην είναι εκεί για πάντα.

Σύντομα, οι ανησυχίες επιβεβαιώθηκαν. Για έναν ανεξήγητο λόγο, το βιβλιοπωλείο έκλεισε. Πήραν τα βιβλία, το χαλάκι και την πολυθρόνα και κρεμάστηκε ένα μεγάλο πωλητήριο.

Πώς απαντάς στα «γιατί;» ενός παιδιού όταν δεν ξέρεις την απάντηση; Πώς μπορείς να το βοηθήσεις στον πόνο και την απώλεια που αισθάνεται; Η απάντηση είναι πραγματικά δύσκολη! Το ίδιο δύσκολη όμως είναι και η ζωή, που κάποιες φορές μας επιφυλάσσει δυσάρεστες εκπλήξεις.

Ολοκληρώνοντας την ιστορία διαπίστωσα ότι ξεκίνησε σαν παραμύθι και έκλεισε, πάλι, σαν παραμύθι!

Συχνά λέμε ότι η ζωή δεν είναι «σαν παραμύθι», εννοώντας κάτι γλυκό, όμορφο, καλό, αγαθό… Η ιστορία αυτή θα μπορούσε να είναι ένα γλυκύτατο παραμύθι, από αυτά που λέμε ότι δεν μπορούν να συμβούν στην πραγματικότητα.

Το τέλος είναι καλό. Αναπάντεχα καλό!

Στο οπισθόφυλλο του βιβλίο λέει ότι πρόκειται για μια «γλυκιά και τρυφερή ιστορία για τη σπουδαιότητα του διαβάσματος και την αγάπη για τα βιβλία».

Σε αυτό, θα έλεγα ότι καθετί σπουδαίο κρύβει πίσω του έναν άνθρωπο. η σπουδαιότητα του διαβάσματος και η αγάπη για τα βιβλία έρχονται και γεννιούνται από την ψυχή (κυριολεκτικά και μεταφορικά) ενός ανθρώπου, που αυτός φροντίζει για αυτά.

Η μικρή Μίλλυ αναρωτιόταν στην περίπτωση που αλάξει ιδιοκτήτη τη βιβλιοπωλείο, αν θα εξακολουθεί να νιώθει το ίδιο όπως με την κυρία Μίντι. Φυσικά και δε θα ένιωθε το ίδιο. Γιατί την αγάπη της για τα βιβλία και το διάβασμα την τροφοδοτούσε η σχέση με την κυρία Μίντι.

Και θα έλεγα ότι αυτό προσφέρει το βιβλίο αυτό. Μας δίνει μια γεύση για το πόσο πολύ σημαντικό είναι να διαβάζεις σε ένα παιδί παραμύθια και ιστορίες.

[Kinga (oazaksiazek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Czym dla dziecka kochającego książki jest księgarnia? Czy regularne odwiedziny w miejscu pełnym książek jest w stanie sprawić, że przywiąże się ono do księgarki tam pracującej?

Ta pozycja to urocza historia o małej Milly oraz starszej pani Minty, które połączyła niewielka księgarnia oraz miłość do książek. To opowieść dla dzieci, które kochają czytać i które nie wyobrażają sobie dnia bez lektury.

„Zaginiona księgarnia” ujęła mnie swoją prostotą, ciepłem i przesłaniem. Piękne, kolorowe ilustracje idealnie wzbogaciły tekst, przez co lektura wylądowała w moich ulubieńcach. Na pewno kupię sobie własny egzemplarz, aby móc kiedyś wrócić do tej historii.

[Sarah Wilkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this to mg daughter, and I thought it was the most adorable and heart warming story. It shows a love of books through a small, local business and it’s customers.

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children who like reading will love this gentle story. Milly’s favourite thing is story time at her local bookshop. She’s been going since she was very little and the shop owner Mrs Minty can always recommend the perfect book. Milly likes helping in the shop too and she notices it’s looking older and shabbier than it used to. When the bookshop suddenly closes, Milly can’t bear the thought it might not reopen, and her response prompts other people to make their feelings known too.

Milly is a little girl who loves reading and especially loves visiting her local bookstore Mintys Bookshop.

Mrs Minty who owns the bookshop loves to read to the children and has a story time there which Milly loves too.

Milly dreams of running the bookstore or working there when anything happens to Mrs Minty.

One day she passes the bookstore and it’s closed. Eventually the bookstore goes up for sale. Milly is distraught and draws a picture of how she would love the bookstore to look and pins her picture outside the shop. Day after day children leave pictures, poems and letters asking for the bookstore to stay open.

No one knows who has got the bookstore and what it will be like until opening day finally arrives……

I loved this simple little book with its amazing illustrations by Kirsti Beautyman, it’s highlights how some children still love to read and be read to. Milly is a lovely little character and worries a lot too, but finds comfort in her reading.

This little book is a must for children and maybe by reading this lovely book it will show the importance reading has for us.

I’ve loved books all my life as has my daughter and still does. So a must for anyone child or adult to read this little book which shows us how books can impact on our lives.

[Musiclib · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Minty, the beloved local bookshop owner, has been in business for decades. Her shop is one of Milly's favorite places. Milly starts to notice, though, the signs of wear and tear that decades of storytime can have on the shop. She tries to help out to make the storytime equipment last a bit longer. However, one day as she and her mother go to the shop, it's unexpectedly closed. Milly and her mom return a bit later and it was still closed. On a third trip, they see it's been boarded up and put up for sale. Devastated Milly draws a picture of her beloved bookstore with a some cosmetic fixes and hangs it on the boards covering the shop. Soon, other pictures and momentos begin turning up on the boards from other children in the community. After the winter, Milly and her mom walk by and are shocked to find Mrs. Minty's daughter has renovated the shop to fit Milly's picture and the shop is now open. Mrs. Minty had fallen and stayed with her daughter to rehab. But the children's pictures on the shop convinced Mrs. Minty's daughter to move home and run the bookshop for her mom.

Large illustrations (in color) are on all pages. The print is large and slightly varying in size. The color palate is bright and vibrant. A good transition to chapter book.

[memoirsofra · Rating 5 out of 5]

the story begins with a young girl, milly, who discovers that her beloved bookshop has mysteriously closed overnight.

it takes readers on a delightful journey filled with the magic of books. it's an enchanting tale that reminds us of the importance of books, community, and never forgetting the simple joy of losing ourselves in books.

the authors expertly tackle themes of loss and the power of books to unite and heal. milly's determination to bring back the closed bookshop showcases the importance of community support and the impact a bookshop can have on its customers.

with its enchanting narrative, delightful illustrations, and timeless themes, "the missing bookshop" is a must read for all bookworms, young and old. so, grab a cozy spot, open these pages, and embark on an unforgettable journey down memory lane!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milly loves her local bookshop! Her mother takes her there for story time and she spends her pocket money to buy new books! Mrs. Minty the owner always knows what Milly would love to read!

But the bookshop is old and looking worn, and one day, when Milly goes, the shop is closed. It’s so sad and Milly is worried....what will become of Minty’s Bookshop?

This is an adorable story of the power of a good local bookshop and the love of stories! There’s so much love in these pages!

Although this book doesn’t have chapters, it’s chapter-book length. Beautiful illustrations on every page help young kids follow along! This is cute-read it!!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review I picked this one up recently, I couldn't resist the cover. I went in knowing nothing about it other than I love the illustration style. I ended up absolutely loving this book and it is a must read for book lovers both young and old. It really brings out the importance of locally owned bookstores and what they mean to the community. It is a great story to share with the young readers in your home. It was easy to read, like a level 4 reader, with simple sentences and words and a lot of illustrations.

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Bookshop was given to me by my daughter in law @schueller24 after a book party she had last year. It is such a cute picture book about a bookshop and a little girl. It teaches young children that even the smallest gesture can make a difference in the community. Even though it is a picture book it is a perfect book/gift for a book lover. I can not wait for my little guys to have the patience and attention to sit through this picture book. I know we will enjoy this book together.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this to my daughter, she remembered our local bookshop that did not survive the pandemic, and its owner Anne who could not continue being a bookshop owner. This book--a sweet, poignant love letter to independent bookshops--has inspired me to find a new almost-local to us bookshop and use some of that new stimulus check to stimulate the parts of the economy that matter to me.
❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚

Oh, and the story is quite good, as are the illustrations.

[Dinah ✨Keefe's Only✨Setter #7-15 J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for my birthday, and thought it was going to be boring, but I was totally WRONG! The first time I read it I instantly regretted thinking that. It is one of my top favorite books!

LOVE THAT BOOK!

Great job, Katie!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

At least as much of the charm is due to the art & design as to the story; it's a very visual book. And we don't actually need a Mrs. Minty, since we have Goodreads and libraries. But still, a sweet and optimistic book, with this great line:

"Milly's worry cloud burst open, and a happy feeling rained down on her."

[James Stoddah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful tale with beautiful illustrations. It's the type of story that promotes empathy and would drive the imagination of children enough to make them want to read more - and visit their local bookshops! I'm looking forward to reading it to my grandchildren tomorrow.