Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Translator: Anthea Bell
Book 1 in the Inkheart (Inkworld) series
Pages: 534
Published: 2003
Age: 9+
Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, who works as a restorer and binder of books, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared when Meggie was still a small child. They live quietly together until the night a stranger knocks at their door. He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinary secret - a storytelling secret - that will change their lives for ever...
Mo must be honest with his daughter about his unique and magical talent: he can read characters from storybooks to life! Unfortunately, these characters are not always good and kind, and one character in particular has no interest in letting Meggie and her father live 'happily ever after.' Together Meggie and Mo must learn to harness the magic that conjured this nightmare. Somehow they must change the course of the story which threatens to ruin their peaceful existence.
Phantastik-Preis der Stadt Wetzlar for Children's Fiction, Germany (2004); Jury der jungen Leser prize for Children's Novel of the Year (2004); Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children's Literature (2004); ALA Teens' Top Ten (2004); Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (2006); Zilveren Griffel (2006); National Education Association "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children" List (2007); Nene Award (2009)
About the Inkheart (Inkworld) Series
Books in series order
- 1.Inkheart(2003)
- 2.Inkspell(2005)
- 3.Inkdeath(2007)
- 4.The Colour of Revenge(2024)
Reading age: 9+ years
This series should be read in order.
Twelve-year-old Meggie Folchart discovers that her father, Mo, who repairs and binds books for a living, has an incredible talent: when he reads aloud, characters come out of their stories and into the real world! But when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service this magical gift takes on a sinister meaning. Meggie soon learns that Mo may not be the only one who can read things to life, but will this be a blessing or a curse?
Characters from books literally leap off the page in this enthralling fantasy series by one of Germany's most popular authors for young adults. Confident readers who enjoy fantasy series such as Carole Wilkinson's Dragonkeeper series or J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books will be enchanted and engrossed by Meggie's 'story-within-a-story.'
Note: This series is called "Inkworld" in the U.S.