The Forbidden Library is a fantasy adventure about a 12-year-old girl called Alice who is left on her own and is sent to her Uncle Jerry, who she's never actually heard of. Alice is a quiet, polite girl who always follows the rules. When she gets to her Uncle Jerry's, she wanders into a library and finds a talking cat called Ashes who thinks he's better than everybody else, including Alice.
In the library, she also discovers a book that she's not meant to read. She just can't help herself. She opens up the book and starts reading, the story telling us, "Alice opened her eyes in another place entirely. It was dark after the brightness of Isaac's fire…" Alice finds that she's entered another world. In the Forbidden Library, Alice's challenge is to get the book called the Dragon and to destroy the creature within. On the way she discovers troll-like monsters who want to eat her, furry little kiwis who want to poke her to death with their needle-like beaks and tree sprites that can make a whole tree come alive. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down and had to take it to school to read at lunchtime. I liked that the main character was a girl, that she was strong and brave, and that she learned that not all rules are meant to be followed. The book also has beautiful drawings of Alice and the creatures she meets.

Here's an open letter to the author because it was so enjoyable:

Dear Django Wexler,
Please please please write a sequel to this book. I loved it and want to know more about Alice and her world. Thanks,
Kat Winter

Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!