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Pages & Co. #1-3
Pages & Co. Bookwandering Adventures – Volume One: Tilly and the Bookwanderers, Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales and Tilly and the Map of Stories
A magical adventure to delight the imagination. The curl-up-on-the-sofa snuggle of a series from a uniquely talented author.
PAGES & CO.: TILLY AND THE BOOKWANDERERS
Since her mother’s disappearance, eleven-year-old Tilly has found comfort in stories at Pages & Co., her grandparents’ bookshop. But when her favourite characters, Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, appear in the shop, Tilly’s adventures become very real. Not only can she follow Anne and Alice into their thrilling worlds, she discovers she can bookwander into any story she chooses.
Tilly’s new ability could even help her solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago. But danger may be lurking on the very next page…
PAGES & CO.: TILLY AND THE LOST FAIRY TALES
Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .
On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?
PAGES & CO.: TILLY AND THE MAP OF STORIES
Strange things are happening. A man comes into Pages & Co looking for a book… then suddenly can’t remember it. Tilly and her family feel like the world is changing – but can’t quite put their finger on why.
Meanwhile, the Underwoods are expanding their control over bookwandering – and they still have their sights set on Tilly. Leaving the safety of the bookshop, Tilly heads to America to find the legendary Archivists and save bookwandering…
… or at least, that’s the plan. Wandering in layers of story, Tilly and her friend Oskar come up against dangers they could never have expected, team up with an unexpectedly familiar face, and ultimately find themselves taking on the biggest threat to stories there has ever been.
PAGES & CO.: TILLY AND THE BOOKWANDERERS
Since her mother’s disappearance, eleven-year-old Tilly has found comfort in stories at Pages & Co., her grandparents’ bookshop. But when her favourite characters, Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, appear in the shop, Tilly’s adventures become very real. Not only can she follow Anne and Alice into their thrilling worlds, she discovers she can bookwander into any story she chooses.
Tilly’s new ability could even help her solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago. But danger may be lurking on the very next page…
PAGES & CO.: TILLY AND THE LOST FAIRY TALES
Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .
On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?
PAGES & CO.: TILLY AND THE MAP OF STORIES
Strange things are happening. A man comes into Pages & Co looking for a book… then suddenly can’t remember it. Tilly and her family feel like the world is changing – but can’t quite put their finger on why.
Meanwhile, the Underwoods are expanding their control over bookwandering – and they still have their sights set on Tilly. Leaving the safety of the bookshop, Tilly heads to America to find the legendary Archivists and save bookwandering…
… or at least, that’s the plan. Wandering in layers of story, Tilly and her friend Oskar come up against dangers they could never have expected, team up with an unexpectedly familiar face, and ultimately find themselves taking on the biggest threat to stories there has ever been.
757 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 5, 2024
2024-03: Tilly and the Map of Stories (book 2): 4 stars.
There is something odd happening: people seem to be forgetting the names and plots of various books, but it seems a less pressing a concern at the moment than what Melville and his sister Decima Underwood are doing to restrict Bookwandering.
Tilly and Oskar are intent on finding the Archivists, but Tilly's grandparents are dismissive of a quest they feel is for, at best, a legend. Bea, Tilly's mother makes her own plans, and sends Tilly and Oskar, unbeknownst to the older Pages, off to the US and the Library of Congress.
Tilly and Oksar meet two of Bea's friends from university, Orlando and Jorge, Bookwanderers, married to each other and owners of a Shakespeare-themed bookstore. In fact, this whole novel is Shakespeare-themed, with many references to the Bard and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
The men take the children to the Library of Congress, where the two find clues that eventually take them to a train that has stops at a variety of locations, including the Archives. Milo and his guardian Horatio operate the train and locate missing books, among other things, and are also Bookwanderers, but operate in secret, away from the scrutiny of the Underlibraries of the world.
Tilly and Oskar meet Artemis, Bibliognost of the Archives, who wants to work with Tilly and Oskar, and Horatio, to find the missing books that are disappearing from everywhere in the world.
Of course there is much danger, and nefarious people to deal with once Tilly and Oskar return to London. But, Tilly and Oskar discover the source of book magic and the reason behind the missing books, and what the impact truly is of these disappearances.
Tilly and Osakar prove they are a powerful team; their friendship and respective talents make them successful investigators and problem solvers. Their ages makes adults persistently underestimate them, fortunately, or the pair would not solve each new problem that comes their way. Even if it's not a total solution, as is the case at the end of this book, at least it might give the pair and various sympathetic and helpful adults a chance to figure out what to do next.
2024-01: Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales (book 2): 4 stars.
Amelia, the head Underlibrarian is out, thanks to various conservative members of the Bookbinders who feel she was too lax on the rules, allowing Enoch Chalk to infiltrate the Bookwanderers.
Tilly, Oskar and her grandparents are wary of the newly elected underlibrarian, Melville Underwood, who immediately institutes a number of restrictive policies and forbids the Pages from entering the Underlibrary henceforth. Interestingly, he claims he will apprehend Chalk, though he was lost in fairy tales for years and should have no knowledge of the criminal.
Amelia and Seb don’t trust Melville, and start a quiet rebellion, subverting some of the more repressive rules. Meanwhile Tilly and Oskar will be in Paris with his dad. Worryingly, since returning from “The Last Princess”, Tilly’s mother Bea has been quiet, and despondent. Tilly is sad, but heartened, a little, when Bea sees her off and seems both more focused and loving, than she has been since her return.
Tilly wants a safe time away, but has a frightening moment on the train. A great, dark forest seems to overtake the inside of the train while she’s reading an old fairy tale book of her grandmother’s that she wasn’t supposed to take with her. And of course Oskar suggests bookwandering in a bookshop in Paris, despite the soon to be enforced rules against children bookwandering. They meet the proprietor, Gretchen Stein, who used to work with Tilly's grandmother, but left the British library because of a difference of opinion about the many rules.
Gretchen suggests the pair enter a fairy tale. Of course, they run into problems almost immediately, and discover fractures, holes and confusion in the stories. They manage to escape, and let the Pages know what happened once they're back home. And things just keep getting worse, and though Tilly and Oskar discover a little of what is happening, and Chalk's connection to it all, the British underlibrary has big problems coming.
Lots of fun, lots of adventure, and a fun jumble of fairy tales. The small moments between Tilly and Bea were great.
2023-12: Tilly and the Bookwanderers (book 1): 4 stars.
Eleven-year-old Tilly Pages has just fallen out with her friend and is at loose ends. She lives with grandparents, who own a bookshop called Pages & Co. Tilly loves to read; her two favourite books are Anne of Green Gables, and Alice in Wonderland.
Tilly’s mother disappeared years earlier, and Tilly has been told that her dad died when she was very young. Her grandparents have not told Tilly much about her mother, partly because it’s still painful for them, but also because there is some secret they are concealing about her mother Beatrice.
Tilly then meets another eleven-year-old, Oskar. He doesn’t have many friends, is dyslexic, and likes to draw.
Then, Tilly has noticed the occasional odd visitor to Pages & Co who disappears from the shop, and even more surprising, Tilly receives visits from Anne with an “e” Shirley from Green Gables, and Alice. From Wonderland.
After Alice pulls Tilly into Wonderland, and Tilly manages to return to the bookshop, she confronts her grandparents, who introduce her, and Oskar, to the world of the Bookwanderers, who are primarily librarians, and who can enter and exit narratives at will.
When Tilly and Oskar take an unsanctioned trip, they not only have a dangerous adventure, but also discover that there is something very wrong at the heart of the Bookwanderers. The pair expose the problem, and Tilly also gets her heart's desire.
This is a totally fun start to what I think will be a captivating and exciting series. Tilly has courage and pluck, and Oskar is so great. Also, for anyone who desperately wanted to travel into narratives to experience the many worlds insides books, this book is a treat.
There is something odd happening: people seem to be forgetting the names and plots of various books, but it seems a less pressing a concern at the moment than what Melville and his sister Decima Underwood are doing to restrict Bookwandering.
Tilly and Oskar are intent on finding the Archivists, but Tilly's grandparents are dismissive of a quest they feel is for, at best, a legend. Bea, Tilly's mother makes her own plans, and sends Tilly and Oskar, unbeknownst to the older Pages, off to the US and the Library of Congress.
Tilly and Oksar meet two of Bea's friends from university, Orlando and Jorge, Bookwanderers, married to each other and owners of a Shakespeare-themed bookstore. In fact, this whole novel is Shakespeare-themed, with many references to the Bard and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
The men take the children to the Library of Congress, where the two find clues that eventually take them to a train that has stops at a variety of locations, including the Archives. Milo and his guardian Horatio operate the train and locate missing books, among other things, and are also Bookwanderers, but operate in secret, away from the scrutiny of the Underlibraries of the world.
Tilly and Oskar meet Artemis, Bibliognost of the Archives, who wants to work with Tilly and Oskar, and Horatio, to find the missing books that are disappearing from everywhere in the world.
Of course there is much danger, and nefarious people to deal with once Tilly and Oskar return to London. But, Tilly and Oskar discover the source of book magic and the reason behind the missing books, and what the impact truly is of these disappearances.
Tilly and Osakar prove they are a powerful team; their friendship and respective talents make them successful investigators and problem solvers. Their ages makes adults persistently underestimate them, fortunately, or the pair would not solve each new problem that comes their way. Even if it's not a total solution, as is the case at the end of this book, at least it might give the pair and various sympathetic and helpful adults a chance to figure out what to do next.
2024-01: Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales (book 2): 4 stars.
Amelia, the head Underlibrarian is out, thanks to various conservative members of the Bookbinders who feel she was too lax on the rules, allowing Enoch Chalk to infiltrate the Bookwanderers.
Tilly, Oskar and her grandparents are wary of the newly elected underlibrarian, Melville Underwood, who immediately institutes a number of restrictive policies and forbids the Pages from entering the Underlibrary henceforth. Interestingly, he claims he will apprehend Chalk, though he was lost in fairy tales for years and should have no knowledge of the criminal.
Amelia and Seb don’t trust Melville, and start a quiet rebellion, subverting some of the more repressive rules. Meanwhile Tilly and Oskar will be in Paris with his dad. Worryingly, since returning from “The Last Princess”, Tilly’s mother Bea has been quiet, and despondent. Tilly is sad, but heartened, a little, when Bea sees her off and seems both more focused and loving, than she has been since her return.
Tilly wants a safe time away, but has a frightening moment on the train. A great, dark forest seems to overtake the inside of the train while she’s reading an old fairy tale book of her grandmother’s that she wasn’t supposed to take with her. And of course Oskar suggests bookwandering in a bookshop in Paris, despite the soon to be enforced rules against children bookwandering. They meet the proprietor, Gretchen Stein, who used to work with Tilly's grandmother, but left the British library because of a difference of opinion about the many rules.
Gretchen suggests the pair enter a fairy tale. Of course, they run into problems almost immediately, and discover fractures, holes and confusion in the stories. They manage to escape, and let the Pages know what happened once they're back home. And things just keep getting worse, and though Tilly and Oskar discover a little of what is happening, and Chalk's connection to it all, the British underlibrary has big problems coming.
Lots of fun, lots of adventure, and a fun jumble of fairy tales. The small moments between Tilly and Bea were great.
2023-12: Tilly and the Bookwanderers (book 1): 4 stars.
Eleven-year-old Tilly Pages has just fallen out with her friend and is at loose ends. She lives with grandparents, who own a bookshop called Pages & Co. Tilly loves to read; her two favourite books are Anne of Green Gables, and Alice in Wonderland.
Tilly’s mother disappeared years earlier, and Tilly has been told that her dad died when she was very young. Her grandparents have not told Tilly much about her mother, partly because it’s still painful for them, but also because there is some secret they are concealing about her mother Beatrice.
Tilly then meets another eleven-year-old, Oskar. He doesn’t have many friends, is dyslexic, and likes to draw.
Then, Tilly has noticed the occasional odd visitor to Pages & Co who disappears from the shop, and even more surprising, Tilly receives visits from Anne with an “e” Shirley from Green Gables, and Alice. From Wonderland.
After Alice pulls Tilly into Wonderland, and Tilly manages to return to the bookshop, she confronts her grandparents, who introduce her, and Oskar, to the world of the Bookwanderers, who are primarily librarians, and who can enter and exit narratives at will.
When Tilly and Oskar take an unsanctioned trip, they not only have a dangerous adventure, but also discover that there is something very wrong at the heart of the Bookwanderers. The pair expose the problem, and Tilly also gets her heart's desire.
This is a totally fun start to what I think will be a captivating and exciting series. Tilly has courage and pluck, and Oskar is so great. Also, for anyone who desperately wanted to travel into narratives to experience the many worlds insides books, this book is a treat.
June 3, 2021
The first 2 are fun and engaging for a young reader. Delightful references to literary characters. Not great literary achievements but pleasant. The 3rd, however, is a great disappointment as there is a homosexual pair introduced. Why do authors have to push their agendas and try to influence young children?!
February 18, 2026
This book was an amazing story, filled with book magic. I totally believe in the power of books and that anything can happen if you have faith. From Tilly’s first bookwandering adventure to her most recent one, it is obvious she loved her adventures and she will stay true to her heart.
October 4, 2021
Tilly, whose father was never part of her life and whose mother disappeared after she was born, unexpectedly learned she is a Book Wanderer. Adventures ensue when Alice from Wonderland and Anne of Green Gables lead her into their worlds.
Book-loving middle-grade readers will likely have been introduced to the two classics in which Tilly wanders, and any parents and grandparents who get a chance to share the book with them will enjoy the fun. A light fantasy worth following into the next book.
Book-loving middle-grade readers will likely have been introduced to the two classics in which Tilly wanders, and any parents and grandparents who get a chance to share the book with them will enjoy the fun. A light fantasy worth following into the next book.
January 16, 2024
I am an 8-year old girl in third grade. This book is a wonderful experience to explore and wonder. I want to read the second one in the series. I hope Anna James makes more. My favorite part was when Tilly got sucked into Alice in Wonderland. My favorite character is Amelia. If I could wander into a book it would be Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlotte's Web. I recommend the book to people who have a big imagination and are looking for a book that gets you sucked in like Harry Potter.
September 4, 2023
Volume 1: The Bookwanders
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how powerful books are. Books can change minds and change worlds, open doors and open minds, and plant seeds that can grow into magical and even terrifying things. Stories are things to be loved and respected at the same time; never underestimate the power of them. It's why books are often casualties of censorship; those who ban or burn books are those who are scared of what can be found among their pages."
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how powerful books are. Books can change minds and change worlds, open doors and open minds, and plant seeds that can grow into magical and even terrifying things. Stories are things to be loved and respected at the same time; never underestimate the power of them. It's why books are often casualties of censorship; those who ban or burn books are those who are scared of what can be found among their pages."
November 14, 2024
I checked out this book for my daughter but then devoured it myself over the next few days. :) I admire the cozy world-building and look forward to reading more in the series.
Read
June 13, 2025Read this with my 9 year old daughter, it was great.
June 19, 2025
What an absolute delight these books are loved every minute of reading them.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews