The Missing Bookshop

This appealing and heart-warming story joins the publisher’s range of simple stories for newly independent readers with beautiful full colour illustrations throughout. The author is an award-winning independent bookseller and her debut book is the perfect read for lovers of books, bookshops and stories. Mrs Minty’s bookshop is Milly’s favourite place and she loves going to story-time every week and testing Mrs Minty’s ability to find the right book on whatever Milly’s current passion is, from bears or pirates to ponies and aliens. One day, however, Milly notices that both Mrs Minty and her shop are looking rather old and creaky. When the shop closes and is put up for sale Milly is determined to save it and her brilliant idea draws many fellow book lovers to join her resulting in a happy and satisfying ending.

This is a wonderful book for children who love reading; it may also encourage those who are not so sure. It has a gentle, heart-warming feel and a strong message about everyone being able to make a difference. The subtly coloured illustrations fill every page and draw the reader into the enchanted world of the bookshop complementing the text perfectly to celebrate the joys of reading and its power to shape lives, the strength of community action and the importance of bookshops to the people who love them. The implicit message, that runs throughout, is that when people and things get a little old and creaky, they need to be loved and supported, not discarded. This book bridges the gap between picture books and chapter books and will work well both as a book to share or for independent reading.