The Bookshop Girl

By Author / Illustrator

Ashley King, Sylvia Bishop

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Scholastic

ISBN

9781407159690

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-04-2017

Synopsis

This story is about a little girl named Property Jones, so-called because she was left in the lost property cupboard of a bookshop when she was five years old. Property loves living in the bookshop, but she has a whopper of a secret ... she can't actually read! So Property doesn't see the newspaper article announcing the chance to win the Montgomery Book Emporium, the biggest and most magnificent bookshop in the world! When her family win the competition, Property finds herself moving to the Emporium, a magical place filled with floor upon floor of books and a very bad-tempered cat. But all is not at it seems at the Emporium and soon Property Jones finds herself in a whole heap of trouble.

Reviews

Property Jones got her name after being left in a bookshop when she was five years old and being put in the lost property cupboard by Michael Jones, the son of the shop owner. When nobody came to claim her, and being too small and confused to remember her name, Property just stayed. Now aged eleven, she loves living in the bookshop with Michael and his mother, Netty, even though she is hiding a huge secret - Property Jones can't read! The Joneses just assumed she could and now pretending to be able to read has become second nature to Property. Their lives change when they win a competition to own the world's best bookshop, Montgomery's Emporium of Reading Delights. This is magical place filled with room after room of books and a very bad-tempered cat. But something strange is going on. Why was Mr Montgomery so eager to give up his empire? And who is the mysterious grey man lurking in the shop? Despite her lack of reading skills, Property is able to use her courage and quick wits to help discover the reality and prevent a major fraud from taking place. A fast moving and entertaining adventure, with a likeable heroine, with the author's love of books and reading permeating the story. 176 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Jayne Gould, school librarian.