Get ready to be whisked away to whole other world which hides, just out of sight, behind flowered curtains and mossy bowers…

‘Daisy Thistledown has escaped from boarding school and has a mystery to solve. Her search for her missing mother will lead her across London and through a hidden doorway to another world, filled with plants and bursting with magic: the Greenwild.

But all is not well in this astonishing land. Before long Daisy finds herself confronting a dangerous presence that threatens green magic on both sides of the door. Daisy must band together with a botanical genius, a boy who can talk to animals, and a cat with an attitude, to channel the power that can revive the Greenwild and find her missing mother – and save her own world too.’

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One of the first things which caught my attention when I started reading this book was that Daisy, our main protagonist, was half Iranian. Very few books I’ve enjoyed recently have seen this ethnic group represented so it’s great to see Persian heritage being celebrated here. The touches of Farsi scattered through Daisy’s conversations with her mum added real heart and warmth to the story.

Pari Thomson very quickly conjures up a lush, magical world which is just out of reach for most humans. It’s a world in which plants can produce delicious treats in a heartbeat or cure all manner of ills. Children are sent to botany school to learn how to care for plants and nurture any budding talents. This epic world building was inspired by the one and only Kew Gardens – I’d you’ve not visited before, I would highly recommend it!

With a great mystery at its heart and an enchanting new world to explore, readers aged nine and up and going to be captivated by this story.

Take a look at some of the beautiful illustrations created by Elisa Paganelli to enhance the magical world of Greenwild:

Jo.

*Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*