The Grandest Bookshop in the World

Amelia Mellor

Pearl and Vally Cole live in a bookshop. And not just any bookshop. In 1893, Cole’s Book Arcade in Melbourne is the grandest bookshop in the world, brimming with every curiosity imaginable. Each day brings fresh delights for the siblings: voice-changing sweets, talking parrots, a new story written just for them by their eccentric father.

When Pearl and Vally learn that Pa has risked the Arcade – and himself – in a shocking deal with the mysterious Obscurosmith, the siblings hatch a plan. Soon they are swept into a dangerous game with impossibly high stakes: defeat seven challenges by the stroke of midnight and both the Arcade and their father will be restored. But if they fail Pearl and Vally won’t just lose Pa – they’ll forget that he and the Arcade ever existed.

This action-packed, race against time adventure is full of high-octane thrills but set in a magical and whimsical historical setting so richly drawn the reader will feel immediately at home.

‘Edge-of-your-seat tension ... Full
of action, magical scenes and twists
and turns, this fabulous read is for
everyone who loves clever language,
mind-bending suspense and a sizzling
storyline.’

- Kids Book Review

‘Fans of movies such as Jumanji will
revel in the imaginative exploits and
time-trip.’

- Better Reading

‘[Mellor’s] story telling is just perfect
... Bravo! A highly recommended read.’

- South Australian Book Review

Publisher's book page

View PDF

Awards: Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature

Awards: CBCA Notable: Books for Younger Readers

Release: Oct-2020

ISBN: 9781925972955

RRP (AUD): $19.99

Pages: 304

Format: Hardback

Category: Middle Grade Fiction

Amelia Mellor

An English teacher in regional Victoria, Amelia was a finalist in the 2016 Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers’ Contest. She received a 2018 ASA Award Mentorship and won the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust’s Ian Wilson Memorial Fellowship in 2018 for The Grandest Bookshop in the World.

Affirm Press

Affirm Press is an independent publisher dedicated to publishing great stories, big ideas, and the most engaging local and international authors. Our children’s list has been shortlisted for the BOP Bologna Best Children’s Publisher of the Year award in 2020 and 2021.