Amelia Mellor

In 1893, Pearl and Vally Cole live with their siblings and parents above their father’s shop, Cole Book Arcade.

This is a mix of things I love -- Melbourne! a bookshop! eccentric family! sibling dynamics! teamwork! riddles! -- and of things I find disquieting -- namely, a sinister figure making deals with children, memory loss and the destruction of beloved spaces.

Creepiness is not a deal-breaker for me so I can’t pinpoint why it made me so uneasy here. Maybe it was the sense that things show more kept getting worse, even though Pearl and Vally had successfully solved the latest challenge? Even though I knew that deterioration would likely be only temporary?

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that children should be seen and not heard?”
“We say seen and not hurt in my house.”
“You must have awfully modern parents.”
“Oh, yes.” Pearl’s mother and father were both full of bright ideas about how the world would change in the next century, and they liked to hear bright ideas from Pearl and her siblings. Pas said that by the year 2000, everyone would be using telephones, flying machines and the moving picture lantern. “My parents are very modern. Nearly futuristic.” show less

A friend told me about this book 6+ months ago, as a gift idea for my 10 year old niece, mentioning it was a story I’d enjoy too. I forgot about it until she reminded me back in October, so when, just a few weeks later, I saw it at one of my schools’ book fairs, I bought it for a Christmas present, thinking niece and I could read it together, since I’d be spending Christmas with her and her family.

Then, Christmas got cancelled and the book was packed up to ship up to her along with the show more rest of the presents. I figured I’d get to it one of these days.

Turns out I would; a package arrived at our house 5 days after Christmas, from an online bookseller, containing this book – I never ordered it and there’s NO information in the package about who sent it. Mysteries. The Good Kind.

Anyway, I got to read the book and oh, what an enchanting story it is. Firmly written for middle grade kids, but magical enough to capture this adult’s imagination. Two children, who live above the Grandest Bookstore in the World** have 28 hours to solve 7 challenges or else their beloved dad and their bookstore will cease to exist.

There are shades of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Jumanji, and on a deeper level Faust, but nothing ever too heavy for a 10 year old to handle. Everything is couched in adventure and the heavier theme behind the Faustian roots of the story are confronted honestly without dwelling on them. It really is a most wonderfully done story.

** Coles Book Arcade was a real place in Melbourne in the late 1800’s and it really was the Grandest Bookshop in the World. While all the parts the author uses in the book (the tea room, the lolly shop, the fernery, etc.) didn’t all exist at the same time, they did all exist. For those interested, I highly recommend this article from The Guardian, written by the author of this book, which you can find here. show less

When I was a child I loved the Coles Funny Picture Books (I still have them), so I was thrilled to come across "The Grandest Bookshop in the World" by Amelia Mellor.

Pearl and Vally Cole have discovered that their father has risked losing the arcade to a mysterious gentlemen in an effort to bring their dead sister, Ruby, back to life, The children make a pact with the stranger in order to reverse their father's error and regain control of the arcade. They must solve a series of seven show more mysteries or else they lose their memories and the arcade forever.

This fictionalised story of the history of the Coles Book Arcade is a delight for all readers, young and old. It's full of magic and whimsy. show less

The grandest bookshop in the world is threatened after its quirky founder makes a dangerous deal with a dangerous man. It’s up to his children, led by Pearl, to solve puzzles and win back the shop and their father. This was a delightful read, and I really enjoyed finding out about the real story it was based on!