Tilly and Oskar are back and are heading to New York to try and stop Decima and Melville Underwood from preventing children from book wandering forever. To do this, they must follow a set of clues which they believe form a map that will help them find the Archivists.
I have absolutely loved the Pages & Co books so was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on the third of the series before its release.

Tilly is a bold and brave character who is fiercely determined to do the right thing - I think she’s amazing and a character so many children will aspire to be like. I have to admit that I am very envious of her book wandering ability (especially in this book and knowing the people she meets!) and would love to have her skills! Tilly is half fictional and this is something the Underwoods are desperately keen to get hold of - they are determined to get their own way but Tilly, Oskar and Tilly’s mum have other ideas. Tilly always gets upset when people treat her as a child and this is reflected in Anna’s writing: there is so much respect for the reader reflected in the writing; she treats her audience as equals, regardless of their age.

With Oskar, Tilly ventures on her most dangerous journey yet which will mean they encounter some of literature’s most famous authors ... with the most wonderful results. From the first book, Anna has created stories that are vivid and full of the most amazing characters - both those she created for this series and those we already know from other books that who pop up.

This book takes the action and suspense up a notch and readers will be completely gripped by the plot and the vivid worlds that Anna creates - I know I was!

I have enjoyed the previous titles in this series and could not wait to read the third installment!
Tilly needs to save bookwondering for all children from the Underwoods - who want to use the book magic for their own evil purposes.

Tilly must venture into a far away land to find the mysterious archivists - do they exist or will it be a waste of time.

Anna James managed to create a world of imagination that wove into the story really well, and I liked the twist at the end of the book.

This feels like one of those books written for librarians and booksellers rather than children. I've read the first and third in this series and they are sweet but full of references and jokes aimed at adults. I tried giving the first one to my children and both of them only read a bit before saying it was boring. This third one is similarly sweet and nostalgic. I liked it, but I'm a grown up.

“He was haunted by all the books he would never have time to read.”
— Anna James, Tilly and the Map of Stories

Tilly and the Map of Stories is book 3 in the Pages and Co. children’s series by Anna James. In this storybook world, Tilly has the ability to jump into books or bring the characters to life.

In this thrilling third instalment, strange things are happening both in the land of story and in the real world. And it is up to Tilly, and her best pal Oskar, to come to the bottom of it— to find out exactly what is happening while also trying to stop the villainousness Underwood siblings. The wicked siblings are power-thirsty and want to ban all children from book-wandering, but Tilly must put a stop to their ghastly plans through a last Hail-Mary: find the legendary Archivists.

Travelling deep into the layers of story, Tilly and Oskar will meet many dangers, but also new friends.

Oh my goodness guys, there were some lovely moments and characters in here. I especially loved the new emphasis placed upon William Shakespeare and his plays: “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” There is just something magical about scenes coming to life from classical, lovely, and familiar settings. And every time, “Old Sport” was muttered by good ol’ Fitzgerald, I kept having flash backs to the glorious Mr Gatsby.

A great novel! And did I happen to mention to you guys over a hundred times that I have a magical train obsession? Well, this novel definitely catered towards my requirements for ‘what I need in a novel’.

Read. Be happy. Stay safe.

Reading the highly anticipated third book in the book wanderer series was exciting and scary at the same time. I have adored every book, the characters, the world building and links to classics and favourites. At the same time there is something scary about having to end the series and say goodbye to this incredible adventure trilogy.

Many readers will acknowledge the fact that they wish they could bookwander into favourites and meet literary heroes and classic characters, and I am no exception. Anna James has created such an incredibly imaginative world that I felt as though Anne Shirley was next to me and Alice was wandering around my room.
In book three, Tilly and the Map of Stories, there is work to be done to ensure the future of bookwandering and those who have the skill and talent for it. Ever since the Underwood siblings have taken control of the British Underlibrary, Tilly and others have been told not to bookwander and volumes of books are being bound permanently. Tilly and her family know this is wrong but they need a plan to change all that is going wrong and to get rid of the dangerous Underwoods, Tilly and Oskar, ever more courageous and clever than before set out on a mission where they will encounter the mysterious archivists, an incredible train with an even better name and even more famous folk from literature and history!

As an ending to a trilogy, this is pretty perfect! Sublime world building and inspirational books to encourage a love of reading! A modern classic and testimony to the power of books and reading!

A suspenseful and intriguing plot propels 'Map of Stories' to being the best Tilly adventure yet!

It seems something is off when a man comes into Pages & Co. wanting a book, but then completely forgets what the book is. Tilly can't figure out why everything feels different, until the villainous Underwoods who control the Underlibrary want her for their nefarious purposes. Escaping on an adventure with her faithful companion Oskar (who is very integral in this dynamic, he will have you know!), Tilly jets across the globe to America to see if the answers she so desperately needs will be found there.

A change of pace and setting manages to give this third Pages & Co. book a feeling of fresh wonder. The stakes are felt to be high throughout once we understand more of what is in danger, of which I will not reveal the bigger threats and implications as that would be spoiling, but I assure you, it's VERY HIGH DANGER! For that, the plot is constantly in motion and has Tilly and Oskar (and some very surprising characters too) front and centre on an epic quest that will require so much friendship and book love to face the bad guys.

This series has always been incredible at being an ode to the love of reading and the power of stories, and this is no exception. In a fantastical world of book wandering, Anna James manages to make the impossible feel possible with a bit of book magic logic and world building. The rules can seem so complex and well thought-out, but there is always the element of believing in oneself (and the magic of stories) to achieve anything. Tilly is a fantastic protagonist to show that to all readers of these wonderful stories.

I found this to be the best Pages & Co. book yet due to the fast-motion plot and the level of danger we find ourselves in. The possibilities are always endless with this series and I feel like this third outing really took advantage of the world and what it can do. We are introduced to new parts of bookwandering and beyond that can only be achieved with the best of imaginations, and Anna James has proved yet again that her imagination can triumph over all.

Fans of Pages & Co. - you will not be disappointed. A huge thank you to HarperCollins for the approval of the e-ARC on NetGalley.

The map of stories is Tilly's third adventure in her book bookwandering series and is the best yet. I just love the idea of this series, what book loving child (or adult) wouldn't want to disappear into the stories inhabited by their favourite characters? Anna James has created such a vibrant world, with a mix of 'real' people, characters from famous books and now authors. The descriptions are great, in this tale Tilly meets some famous authors and I knew who they all were before they introduced themselves. Anna James is a rare talent, someone who can create an engaging and vivid series of stories for children, but speak to them as if they are adults. There is no dumbing down in this series, just unadulterated fun without any element of patronising the readers. Whilst Tilly doesn't always know the answers to everything this isn't something she is afraid of, she simply uses a lack of knowledge as a way to learn something new. It's a great characteristic to have and hopefully one that will rub off on young readers, a little bit of sparkly book magic that will hopefully leave the pages of this book and make its mark on the real world.

Tilly lives with her grandparents above their London bookshop Pages & Co, and she has recently found out that her family have the ability to book wander, to travel inside books.

'Tilly and the Bookwanderers' quickly became one of my all-time favourite books after I read it two years ago. I felt like Anna James wrote it just for me. It was so much fun and nostalgic to travel into the books that I loved so much as a child, and I was excited to see where we would book wander to in this one. I wasn't disappointed when I was whisked into my favourite play before following Tilly and Oscar through other magical bookish locations in the fully formed world that Anna has created.

This series is a love letter to books and the joy of reading.

Thank you #NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have visited hundreds of imaginary worlds over the course of my lifetime as a reader: Narnia, Kirrin Island, Hogsmeade, Wonderland, Neverland, the island of Berk, Camp Half Blood...

I have met thousands of characters:
I have devoured pop cakes with Silky, shared midnight feasts with Darrell, learned to speak Gorilla with Charlie and travelled into the Woleb with Lucy...

I have never, in all my years as a reader, yearned for an imaginary world to be real in the way I crave the ability to enter Anna James’s creation. Her books create a portal to a world which is so intricately created it’s almost tangible.

Opening Tilly and the Map of Stories is a warm hug. It’s greeting an old friend. It’s returning home. I am in love with this series and book number three did not disappoint. If anything, Anna James has taken her writing to the next level, as everything feels sharper. The characters have more depth and they become real people. The world deepens. It’s almost like you’ve suddenly ‘zoomed out’ and realised there was more than you first thought; it’s been there all along, we just haven’t been able to see it.

Tilly and the Map of Stories sees the protagonist, Tilly, and her friend Oskar delve deeper into the magic of stories than ever before as they embark on a quest to find the mysterious Archivists. We meet new characters, new stories and new facets of book-wandering that we never knew existed.

This series feels like a modern classic. Anna James has captured the very essence of the joy and magic of reading. This magic becomes almost a living, breathing thing - a thing of beauty and great power. Not only did I enjoy the story, it also had a wider impact on helping me to appreciate the magic of reading. It’s a truly remarkable book that I absolutely loved reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a pre-release edition: I cannot wait to share this magic with my Year 5 class.