The Wild Book von Juan Villoro

With over one million copies sold in Spanish, Mexican literary legend Juan Villoro's The Wild Book is a fantastical homage to libraries, in which a boy is sent to live with his kooky, book-obsessed uncle in a library where books have supernatural powers and adventure lies behind every cover.

Thirteen-year-old Juan's summer is off to a terrible start. First, his parents separate. 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?

As 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. But will Juan and his new friend Catalina get to The Wild Book before the wicked, story-stealing Pirate Book does?

An unforgettable adventure story about books, libraries, and the power of reading, The Wild Book is the instant-classic young readers' debut by beloved, prize-winning Mexican author Juan Villoro.

"With delightful notes of The Phantom Tollbooth, Villoro's tale is perfect for any bibliophile?. 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. Readers will learn, along with the characters here, that the best thing about books is that they are meant to be shared."

-Stephanie Cohen, Booklist, Starred Review