Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2016 - Best Story - Winner of the Scottish Children's Book Awards 2015 8-11 age category This sparkling fantasy adventure is a glorious hymn to the powers of the imagination. Young Daniel Holmes first stumbles into the Nowhere Emporium as he’s running from a couple of the bullies from the children’s home where he lives. He’s fascinated – and who wouldn’t be – the shop is a cave of wonders, stacked from floor to ceiling with beautiful objects. As for the shop owner, he seems to be a magician. Next day Daniel is knocked down by a car, only to wake up in the Emporium, which becomes his home. He realises the shop truly is magical, travelling through time, entertaining and delighting customers across the ages, while Mr Silver the owner builds strange and wonderful worlds from their imaginations. Not all in this world is happy however, and when Silver’s enemy Vindictus Sharpe threatens to destroy it, Daniel is the only person who can stop him. Mackenzie creates a dazzling fantasy world, so engaging and vivid it reminds one of Cornelia Funke’s books. Young readers – particularly those who like making up stories themselves – will be entranced. ~ Andrea Reece
Commenting on his Blue Peter Awards win Ross, said: Best Story winner, Ross MacKenzie, who grew up watching Blue Peter, said: “It's always a great moment to receive any sort of award, but to win The Blue Peter Book Awards for Best Story is extra special. Firstly, because it's an award chosen by the readers. It's fantastic and important that children have a voice, and I'm so glad they liked The Nowhere Emporium enough to give it their vote. And secondly, it's special because Blue Peter was such a huge part of my childhood. I'm delighted and stunned to become a tiny part of the show's history and I shall be humming that famous theme tune for the foreseeable future! And of course I always wanted a badge.”
Commenting on his Scottish Book Awards win, Ross said: “I'm so delighted to have won the SCBA for ‘The Nowhere Emporium’! Scottish Book Trust do such an amazing job, and these awards are extra-special because it's the readers who make the final decision. Children don't often get the chance to have a voice on this sort of scale, and I believe it's important for them to know that they have that voice and that their opinions matter.
Long may the SCBA continue!”
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A great book definitely should be read.
An orphan named Daniel accidentally goes to a shop after being chased and it changed his life.
I loved this book it gives a lot of suspense and makes me want to read more every time. The characters are so different but they all link together. My favourite character is Ellie because even though she is protected so much she can do so much and has so many good ideas in her head. My favourite scene is the fight scene it was very hectic but really interesting and quite shocking as different problems shoot up. In the scene, the tense and the language used is really good.
The story has a lot of twists and things shot up unexpectedly which made it more interesting. Overall, the Emporium is a dream place for a lot of people where everything is possible.... Read Full Review
I give this book 5/5 stars and recommend it for people who like fantasy and all ages can enjoy this wonderful book series.
This book was a really good read, the suspense and action were very well written. The character development was brilliant and each character was better than the last. The wondrous events and near death experiences were written in detail. My favorite bits were when Daniel first encountered the emporium and never looked back. I was eager to read this book and the ending was unexpected.... Read Full Review
The Nowhere Emporium was very touching, it was very detailed and suspenseful.
The Nowhere Emporium was very touching, it was very detailed and suspenseful. Everything felt real and as I was reading it I was able to vision everything in my head.
My favourite character would be Ellie because she cares, she isn’t afraid to speak and she doesn’t take things for granted. The book made me laugh at some parts and I was always so eager to read the next chapter after finishing one.
There was not one bit of the book that I disliked, every single sentence, every single scene I visioned in my head, was magical.
Overall, the book was amazing, it was just extraordinary. I’d do anything to be able to feel what I felt when I first started reading it.... Read Full Review
