It was the stranger that started everything. Pearl didn’t like the look of him, or the fact that he wanted to talk to her father about a secret deal he had for him. What would her wonderful, magical, eccentric Pa have to do with this stranger? Even the card he handed to Pearl was strange – naming himself as an Obscurosmith.

Pearl lives with her brothers and sisters and parents within the amazing, fantastical Coles Book Arcade. Not only do they allow readers to read as long as they wish in the bookshop – without paying a cent, there is a place that looks like a greenhouse from the outside, but is a real jungle inside with cheeky monkeys.

There is an arcade with wobbly mirrors, a sweet shop with everything your heart desires, a tea salon, and all other manner of wonders. The entire arcade comes from Pearl’s father’s imagination and magical talents – known far and wide.

Mr Cole is clever, kind and loves his family dearly. So much so that he does entertain a visit from the stranger, and a deal is indeed struck. It is a terrible, terrible mistake.

10 year old Pearl was right about the Obscuromith. He is definitely not to be trusted. His magic is even more powerful than Mr Cole’s. Slowly but surely, Pearl notices a difference in her Pa. She also sees the shine of Cole’s Book Arcade begin to tarnish. What is happening?

With her 13 year old brother Vally (Valentine’s) help, they soon learn what Pa has done. Taking a huge chance, they too make a deal. If they lose, they lose not only their beloved Pa, but the entire arcade and  any memories they ever had of it.

Expecting the Obscurosmith to play fair and keep to their deal is another mistake, but the Cole family aren’t going to give up easily.

Set in the late 1800’s within a family full of fun, magical talents and fierce loyalty, The Grandest Bookshop in the World is a grand tale. The language is rich, the magic imaginative and the character’s likeable.

An evil bargain made with a malevolent stranger drives the Cole family through one puzzle after another to save the world they know and love – their father’s Book Arcade. Sibling rivalries turn into sibling loyalties and weird contraptions come alive, a paper bird becomes a spy and botanical knowledge is suddenly the difference between life and death. A touch Willie Wonka, stirred with the mystery and cheek of the Cheshire Cat, and a zombie to top it all off! Incredible.

The Grandest Bookshop in the World is based on the real Coles Book Arcade that opened on Melbourne Cup Day in Melbourne Australia in 1883. A history of this remarkable establishment of shops is included in the back of the book.

Author – Amelia Mellor

Age – 9+

(2020, Affirm Press, Series, Duology, Action, Family, Sibling Rivalry, Magic, Courage, Grief, Historical, Mystery, Melbourne, Australia, Deal, Bargain, Evil)