Meggie loves stories, but her father, Mo, hasn't read to her since her mother disappeared. When a stranger knocks at their door, Mo is forced to reveal an extraordinary secret - when he reads aloud, words come alive, and dangerous characters step out of the pages.

Suddenly Meggie is living the kind of adventure she has only read about in books, but this one will change her life for ever ...

A thrilling and magical adventure about stories and the imagination they inspire. Also a major film from the makers of The Lord of the Rings, starring Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany and Brendan Fraser! The adventure continues in books 2 and 3, Inkspell and InkdeathCornelia Funke is the critically-acclaimed, internationally bestselling author of Dragon Rider and The Thief Lord

'I don't think I've ever read anything that conveys so well the joys, terrors and pitfalls of reading.' Diana Wynne Jones, author of Howl's Moving Castle

'One of the outstanding children's novels of the year.'  The Times