Pages & Co is exactly the kind of book I would have stayed up past my bedtime to read under the covers as a 10-year-old (and one I couldn’t put down as an adult, either).

Matilda ‘Tilly’ Pages has never known her parents, and has lived with her grandparents above their rambling North London bookshop, Pages & Co, ever since her mother disappeared. She’s always loved escaping into her favourite stories, but when Alice appears in the bookshop from Wonderland, and Anne turns up from Avonlea, Tilly’s adventures really begin.

That's because Tilly has discovered the magic of “bookwandering,” where characters can travel from the page into the real world, and readers can join their favourite characters in their fictional homes, too. What starts off as fun soon becomes more urgent as time goes on though, as Tilly realises that bookwandering may have had something to do with her mother’s disappearance…

“You know when you walk into a bookshop and you see all those thousands of books lined up in front of you? That intoxicating feeling of knowing that behind each cover is a different world to explore, like thousands of tiny portals? …That is what fuels bookwandering, and it comes to life in bookshops.” I doubt there’s a book lover out there who hasn’t felt this way, who hasn’t lost themselves in a book over the course of a few hours, and who hasn’t at one point dreamt of being transported into the pages of their most-loved stories.

Pages & Co is a truly lovely book, filled with friendship, adventure, and of course, magic. For adults, reading it offers a chance to recreate the childhood wonder of opening a favourite novel, and for the young readers it’s aimed at, Pages & Co could be the classic they look back on with fondness and nostalgia in years to come. Whatever their age, I’m sure all bookworms will love the magic between these pages – I know I did!

I loved the premises of the book, any stories about books get a big thumbs up from me! This book had everything I love reading about (as a kid and as an adult!) - plucky heroine, sinister character, mentions from other book characters,as well as a bookshop and a library! It also has a great twist and set up premises for more Pages & Co stories. Definitely recommended.

The lovely idea of travelling within books never gets old, and with Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables and A Little Princess, Anna James has chosen the perfect settings for her character Tilly to 'wander' in. I'm looking forward to Tilly's next adventure already - books and magic, what's not to love?!

This was a book I was excited to open, purely from looking at the front cover.

It was just so inviting.

And what you are invited to is quite the magical journey.

Now from an adult perspective I did enjoy the story however it was quite simple, I was I guess expecting more than what I got.

However thinking from a child's point of view, there is magic, adventure and a well told story that although written in quite a fast pace, it's easy to follow.

From the way it was ended I am guessing that there will be at the very least a sequel and I am intrigued as to what direction it might take.

I'd certainly recommend this story for children between the ages of 7 and 12.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with a copy for review.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers follows Matilda Pages, a young girl who discovers that she has the ability to interact with the characters in her favourite books when they visit her, or as she hones her abilities, when she visits them. The discovery of this ability brings with it a whole world of book wandering and some deep family secrets.

This is a really beautiful book and I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to read it. The writing is lovely and lyrical and the illustrations and intricacies of the font really adds to the atmosphere that the book creates. It fills you with a sense of wonder and makes it so easy to get lost in the book, a phenomenon that the book celebrates and draws on. It's a book that makes you feel warm and nostalgic and just generally nice and happy, it was a complete pleasure to read.

I loved the concept of book wandering and the story in general, but I also particularly loved getting to revisit beloved classic children's books through Matilda's eyes and to see characters that I already loved interacting with this beloved story. Anna James handled writing these characters really well and it easily felt like Matilda was interacting the real characters and stories that they came from.

It is a book that I feel an audience of any age would enjoy with its tales of adventure, nostalgia, magic, and books.

I finished this on the bus and almost missed my stop - it was a little slow to start but once it got going I found this book-loving book utterly charming and can only imagine the joy it would have brought my 12-year-old self to read this.

This is a lovely warm book that celebrates books and reading. I loved spotting the many references to books I've loved reading and I'm sure young bookworms will delight in it just the same. The mythology of bookwandering is a really interesting one and I'm looking forward to seeing how it continues to grow in future books.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers (marked as Pages and Co. #1 on Goodreads - I do so hope there's more in this series!) follows Matilda, and eleven year old bookworm who lives with her grandparents next door to the bookshop - Pages and Co. - where they work. After some strange encounters with some strange characters frequenting the bookshop, Tilly soon realises they may actually be exactly who she thinks they are! And better yet, they can take her with them on their adventures....

I don't normally read middle grade. Earlier this year I started the A Murder Most Unladylike series and am really enjoying it, but other than that I don't have much experience with it. I follow Anna on Twitter, and it was through I heard about her debut novel, and was mostly why I wanted to give it a go. There's something so inspiring to me about following somebody on Twitter or Tumblr or wherever, and then reading something they've worked so hard on. But apart from that, the concept of this book sounded right up my street, and something I would have latched on to so hard when I was younger - so why not now?

From the very first paragraphs, I was drawn right in. I was there, in the bookshop, wandering around, with the fire in the background, and the stacks of books precariously balanced on every available surface, little nooks and crannies for reading - it was so immersive! It also sounded like every book lovers dream, that James had carefully crafted this conglomeration of every wish of every book lover and lovingly woven them to make a safe haven for readers. 

I often don't know how to rate middle grade fiction, or even some YA targeted towards the younger end of that spectrum, because at times it can feel like that writing is at too low a level for me to enjoy - I don't mean this in a bad way though! There has to be books of all levels for all ages and abilities of readers, whether that is MG/YA/adult. I just personally don't enjoy reading something aimed towards younger readers so much. With this, however, it felt perfectly crafted for young readers and adults alike to follow along without feeling bored or like it was beneath them, while keeping their interest and keeping them guessing. 

I also think there's something about so much younger fiction where the plot - though necessarily simplified - is too simple for older readers to enjoy. Again, not the case here. I loved the twists and while some of the ending was guessable - only at about two thirds of the way though however - there were other bits I didn't predict. (Side note: also relevant to the A Murder Most Unladylike series - yes a murder mystery for kids, but not necessarily one you'll have answered before the end.)

I don't want to say too much about the plot, because I didn't know too much going in and I want you all to have the same experience I did, and follow the story wherever it goes.

I do, however, want to talk about the characters. Tilly was a delightful young girl, and her friendship with Oskar was cute and inspiring, but mostly I loved Archie and Elisabeth. Their devotion to the their granddaughter was pure and lovely to read about, but they also seemed so in tune with each other, and like a true couple who had obviously been together for many years.

Overall, an enchanting and un-put-down-able book (that's a word, right?) and I urge you all to go and pick up a copy when it's out later this month. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars, and really hope there's more in this series!

If ever there was a more lovely book for booklovers everywhere I don't know what it  is. Pages and Co has been lovingly created by someone who loves books, lives and breathes books and clearly delights in the world of the characters within.

It's a magical thought that you might be able to go inside a book. Some might say that you feel like that when reading, but apparently some of us have the power to really escape reality and enter anther world. But this world of book wandering is not possible for everyone and there are rules as to which books you should enter and those to avoid. Oh and what happens if you can't get out again!

So many things to think about and work out with Tilly as she finds herself seeing the characters in the shop ( stunningly created and imagined with the waft of marshmallows and hot chocolate in the air as you read) I just loved the grandparents with their eye rolls and smiles at Tilly and the secret whispers amongst themselves. And Jack who bakes cakes from books such as those from Alice in Wonderland's tea party! I want to meet him too!

I didn't think I could get any more excited, and I'm So over the age of readership for this book ( ie slightly over 9 - 12 years old) but I shall never see the British Library in the same way again. So THAT's why there are so many locked doors, and books tucked away out of sight. It's like a tardis inside....and now I know why. Mr Chalk.....a delightful  strange man who seems to be watching Tilly and her friend  as they begin to learn the responsibility of book wandering.

There is a lot of scene setting in the book and lots of explanations about the rules of book wandering but let's face it. it's more dangerous than it appears. When Tilly has learnt some of the rules the adventures are bound to get even more adventurous.

Her second name is pages and she's a very special character it would seem......think she'll be just fine.  Which book would you like to wander into will be a question you'll ask yourself when reading this. My answer now - this one!

I love this book and adore Tilly the main character! I enjoyed how other children's classics were referenced throughour and cannot wait for my child to be old enough to appreciate this book at bedtime

I read so many children's books and each year only a few really stick in my memory but this one will definitely be in my mind for a very long time - it is just wonderful! I love the whole idea of being able to enter a book world and meet your favourite characters , who would you want to meet? I'd be straight off to Hogwarts to meet Luna! This is a cosy, entrancing read and I didn't want it to end. Without a doubt it is a book written by a bibliophile for fellow book lovers and it would be a perfect parent/child read with its mix of magical story and nostalgia. Hopefully it will encourage children to explore the classics that play such a large part in the tale. I literally cannot wait to get my hands on my own hard copy of Bookwanders, counting down the days to publication day.