In The Wild Book, a young boy learns about the power of stories when he explores his uncle’s enchanted library of shape-shifting books. Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal
Translated from the Spanish by Lawrence Schimel, The Wild Book is as quirky and infused with the love of books as Tito himself.” It becomes the quest of the summer to find this untamed volume, a pursuit made thrilling for Juan because he is joined in the hunt by a girl named Catalina, whom he adores. Somewhere in vast Borgesian stacks is a wild book that no one has ever managed to hold long enough to read. “A summer visit unlocks a wonderful library in Juan Villoro’s magical tale…. Stephanie Cohen, Booklist, Starred Review Readers will learn, along with the characters here, that the best thing about books is that they are meant to be shared.” Schimel’s smooth translation is reminiscent of tales like those of Kafka or Borges, and charming chapter-header artwork adds to the aura of wonder. “With delightful notes of The Phantom Tollbooth, Villoro’s tale is perfect for any bibliophile…. It has sold over one million copies in Spanish. But will Juan and his new friend Catalina get to The Wild Book before the wicked, story-stealing Pirate Book does?Īn unforgettable adventure story about books, libraries, and the power of reading, The Wild Book is the young readers’ debut by beloved, prize-winning Mexican author Juan Villoro. Then, almost as bad, Juan is sent away to his strange Uncle Tito’s house for the entire break! Who wants to live with an oddball recluse who has zigzag eyebrows, drinks fifteen cups of smoky tea a day, and lives inside a huge, mysterious library?Īs Juan adjusts to his new life among teetering, dusty shelves, he notices something odd: the books move on their own! He rushes to tell Uncle Tito, who lets his nephew in on a secret: Juan is a Princeps Reader, which means books respond magically to him, and he’s the only one who can find the elusive, never-before-read Wild Book. Thirteen-year-old Juan’s summer is off to a terrible start. It smelled like a creature from a bygone time. Finally, we got to the hallway where the wooden floor was the creakiest, and we sensed a strange whiff of excitement and fear. "We walked toward the part of the library where the air smelled as if it had been interred for years….
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