Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters is the start of a new middle-grade adventure series with bags of charm. Fans of thrilling animal adventures and magical underground worlds will fall in love with Wishyouwas.
It’s 1952 in smog-shrouded London. Christmas might be fast approaching, but with her mum away and Uncle Frank busy running the post office, Penny Black is lonelier than ever. All that changes when Penny discovers a small, fluffy, funny, springy and – most importantly – talking creature in the post office one night, trying to make off with a letter.
But Wishyouwas is no thief. He’s a Sorter, and he soon introduces Penny to a fascinating secret world hidden in the tunnels underneath the city’s streets. Self-appointed guardians of lost mail, the Sorters have dedicated their lives to rescuing letters that have gone astray and making sure they get delivered to their rightful owners. Penny is determined to protect the Sorters, but how long will she be able to keep them safe with Stanley Scrawl, the sinister Royal Mail Rat Catcher, on the prowl? Can Penny save the Sorters and deliver a joyful Christmas?
Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters transported me into the hidden maze of tunnels that lies beneath London. The book begins in 1952, as dirty smog covered the city. Page’s writing and Neville-Lee’s illustrations paint a bleak picture of this! But before long the book takes readers off the smog-shrouded streets of the city and deep underground into a world unknown to humans.
Penny is an inquisitive, kind, and feisty protagonist. She’s the kind of ten-year-old whose curiosity about the world around her gets her into all sorts of unexpected situations! I loved following her story, and I’m sure many readers will relate to her lust for adventure. What starts out as a boring day spent helping her Uncle Frank run the post office, turns into a wild journey when she stumbles upon Wishyouwas. His mannerisms reminded me of Dobby from Harry Potter – he’s a bit scared at first but once he warms up to Penny, they are a duo to be reckoned with! This unlikely pair teaches readers that it’s important to stick up for yourself and your friends, no matter how small you are.
Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters takes Penny and Wishyouwas all the way to Buckingham Palace in their quest to save lost letters before Christmas. Readers aged 8+ who like mythical creatures, passionate girls, and learning about a historic city will love this book. I can’t wait to see what they get up to in the sequel.
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