This book managed to make me feel the exact way I did when I was ten and hiding under the covers reading books. I loved it!

Enchanting! This beautifully written and illustrated book weaves a tale of a young reluctant reader forced to read a book during a school break. At first resistant, the narrative brilliantly captures the transformative power of books, reminiscent of the magical allure of captivating stories. Much like the little girl in the story who initially despises reading, the illustrations cleverly shift from monotone to vibrant colours as she gets lost in the enchanting world of a book. This delightful read is not only perfect for the hesitant reader but also a heart-warming reminder of the joy that stories bring to our lives. Perfect for the classroom as a launchpad for a wider discussion. ARC kindly provided by Quarto Publishing, and all opinions are my own.

As a retired children’s librarian, I enjoy any book which encourages reading. The illustrations do an excellent job of showing a young girl changing from hating books to being an enthusiastic reader. I’ve seen the right book at the right time creating a child who devours book after book. Bravo!

the Spell of a Story was a beautiful book about how fun reading can be! I loved all of the enchanted illustrations and the story was a great adventure.

Wow, this is a stunningly written and illustrated book, almost cinematic, that writes about the spell of a story. This is to say, why do books entrance us so much? The story is about a young student who is FORCED to read A BOOK during school break and does NOT want to READ A BOOK. But the books, to be short, win the battle. Well, I am very much a reader and the books have absolutely won me over. This book is a delightful read for the hesitant reader and will be loved by those of us in love with books.

A beautiful book about a young girl who doesn't like to read but ends up loving reading. It is a cosy book with beautiful illustrations.

I absolutely loved this book! It is the story about a little girl who does not like to read books. When she is told to read a book in the summer, she is annoyed. But when she starts reading, she gets lost in a different world, representing what reading feels like. I loved how the colors of the illustrations were monotone but it suddenly turned colorful when she started reading and got lost in another universe of the story. Beautiful book!

I read this to my curious 5 year old that is just at the cusp of learning to read. He was very engaged with the illustrations on each page, they are beautifully done. He and my older child (and myself) always love adventure style pages that allow us to pause and trace a map or find interesting objects like in the forest pages.

I feel blessed that I was taught to love stories and reading from an early age. My granny used to read to me when I was a kid, I still remember that so fondly. I always loved reading. I’d love for everyone to find the same joy in reading as I do.

But I guess sometimes it takes some convincing. Like for the little girl in the story. She HATES reading. Now she has to read a whole book, and that while on summer vacations? A nightmare. Luckily she has a sister who knows how to help her…

This was actually really cute. I loved how the colours changed, the more intrigued she became with books and stories. So yeah, it was quite a cute read. Hopefully it will help some little boys and girls to become book dragons 🐉❤️

Published 04 Jun 2024 by Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Frances Lincoln Children's Books

ARC kindly provided by Quarto Publishing. All opinions are my own.