Milly is feeling like she’s in a bit of an in-between spot, stuck on the way to somewhere she’s not sure she wants to be. She’s about to finish primary school and she’s not quite ready for high school; and although she’s excited for her baby sister to come home and take her old room she’s not so sure she’s ready to give it up. So when Eliza Vanda, a soft, eccentric seamstress, comes to stay at her father’s seaside cabin, she’s just the distraction Milly needs. After all, how can you possibly be worried about a new bedroom when you suddenly find yourself on an errand in a magical world with beautiful clockwork birds, unicorns, and princes who have been turned into frogs?

Eliza Vanda’s Button Box is a gentle adventure; while it doesn’t have huge life-or-death stakes, it is the kind of story that feeds your imagination a feast and leaves you hungry for more. Fantastic for ages 7+.

Dani Solomon is the assistant manager at Readings Kids.