Inkheart
I was researching how many copies of the Swiss children’s book Heidi have been sold worldwide, as I once heard it was the most popular German-language book ever. During this process, I came across Cornelia Funke, who is listed as a bestselling children’s book author from Germany. I had never heard of her, and my curiosity was piqued. She wrote many popular children’s books, but Inkheart is her most famous one because it was also turned into a Hollywood motion picture. I just finished reading this wonderful book. What appealed to me most is that the story celebrates the love of books.
There are magical elements throughout the narrative. The two central characters are Mo and his daughter Meggie. Mo repairs old books and has a beautiful voice for narrating stories. His voice is so vivid and captivating that it possesses a magical power, which led to a catastrophe for Mo and his daughter.
I personally did not care for the villains in Harry Potter, but here the magic is secondary to the adventure that Mo and his daughter must undertake as they are hunted by the evil character Capricorn. Funke’s writing is excellent, and her imagination is as fertile as can be.
I will certainly recommend this book to children between eight and twelve, and even as adults, we can enjoy this fantastically constructed adventure tale.