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The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet
Series: A Kingdoms and Empires Book
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 399 ratings, 72 reviews)
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The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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See moreThis award winner is a magical book about a girl, a threat and a pickle jar filled with gold coins by the internationally bestselling and multi-award-winning author of The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
WINNER: 2024 Indies Children's Book of the Year
SHORTLISTED: 2024 Queensland Literary Awards, Children's Book Award
'Jaclyn Moriarty is one of the most original writers we have.' Markus Zusak
The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet follows Lillian Velvet, who lives a very lonely life with her cold and remote Grandmother. That is, until her tenth birthday, when she is given a pickle jar of gold coins, along with a note with clear instructions: don't go out, don't open the door for anyone, and don't spend all your coins in one day.
What happens next seems impossible. The coins whisk Lillian away to a different time and place. There she meets a small boy in a circus about to be crushed to death; a lively family, each member in a distinctive form of mortal danger; a boy with a skateboard; and a girl who can Whisper. And a web of dangerous magic closing tight around it all.
Why is Lillian here? How is she supposed to help these new friends? And - most importantly - what happens if she fails?
An exciting tale in the magical Kingdoms and Empires world, where seemingly disparate elements are spun until all is revealed as one delicious, tantalising whole.
'Complex and clever, Lillian Velvet's adventure through time is expertly plotted and a joy to read. She's won my heart.' Reece Carter, bestselling author of A Girl Called Corpse
'A must-have for any middle grade collection with fantasy lovers, and those who enjoy the likes of Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, and Lemony Snicket.' School Library Journal
PRAISE FOR THE KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES BOOKS
'Charms, thrills and delights ... brilliantly evoking echoes of Diana Wynne Jones.' Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdoms series
'Brimming with bright new magic ... Just perfect.' Karen Foxlee, award-winning and bestselling author of Dragon Skin
'It's my favourite book ever. I want to put it in a glass case to look at always. 5 stars!' Daisy, age 7
'Humorous, whimsical and beguiling ... intricately and ingeniously plotted tale.' The Australian
'A middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett's Discworld - fantasy adventure steeped in humour, with a touch of satire.' Booklist (starred review)
Series: A Kingdoms and Empires Book
View all-
The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet
WINNER: 2024 Indies Children's Book of the Year SHORTLISTED: 2024 Queensland Literary Awards, Children's Book Award 'Jaclyn Moriarty is one of the most original writers we have.' Markus Zusak The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet follows Lillian Velvet, who lives a very lonely life with her cold and remote Grandmother. That is, until her tenth birthday, when she is given...Hardback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
NOTABLE BOOK: 2018 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my parents. Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars
WINNER: 2019 QLD Literary Awards, Griffith University Children's Book AwardSHORT-LISTED: 2019 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute.That's what bothered me most.This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that. The town of Spindrift is frequented by pirates, Shadow...Hardback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst
HONOUR BOOK: 2021 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Children's Literature SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Queensland Literary Awards, Children's Book Award Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst
HONOUR BOOK: 2021 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Children's Literature SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Queensland Literary Awards, Children's Book Award Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the...Hardback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
19% offThe Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere
Let me get this straight. I'm on a trip with the following people: 1) Bronte, a girl who makes magical 'Spellbinding' rings, 2) Alejandro, a former pirate/current prince who can shoot arrows and make fire from stones, 3) Imogen, who can read broken maps and is a kickboxing master, 4) Esther, who saved her entire world from some kind of...Hardback$2100Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars
WINNER: 2019 QLD Literary Awards, Griffith University Children's Book AwardSHORT-LISTED: 2019 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute. That's what bothered me most. This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that. The town of Spindrift is frequented by...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderAstrid and the Accidental Slip Between Worlds
Astrid and the Accidental Slip Between Worlds by Jaclyn Moriarty follows Astrid Mettlestone-Staranise, who can always tell when someone is lying. However, this ability doesn't help when she is thrown from the Kingdoms and Empires into our world—a world that will steal not only her memory but the essence of who she is. Ordinarily, Astrid would rely on her older...Hardback$2699Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableOut 3 Nov 2026Pre-order -
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
NOTABLE BOOK: 2018 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my parents. Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt...HardbackSold Out
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty is acclaimed for its clever and complex storytelling, with Lillian Velvet's time-travel adventures praised as expertly plotted and delightful to read. The book captivates through its enchanting world-building, offering richly developed themes of friendship and family. Reviews highlight Lillian as a charming hero, likened to beloved characters by authors such as Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781761067570
Publisher: A&U Children's
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 31 October 2023
Country: Australia
Imprint: A&U Children
Contributors:
- Illustrated by Kelly Canby
Audience: Children
DIMENSIONS
Width: 138.0mm
Height: 208.0mm
Weight: 668g
Pages: 544
About the Author
Jaclyn Moriarty is the internationally bestselling author of novels for children, young adults and sometimes slightly older adults, including the (lengthily-titled) books in the Kingdoms and Empires series: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars, The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere, and now, The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet. Jaclyn's books have been translated into several languages, won the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Aurealis Award and named as CBCA Honour Book and Boston Globe/Hornbook Honor book. They have also been short-listed for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, the Nebula Prize and the Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Young People. A former media and entertainment lawyer, Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. She is very fond of blueberries, chocolate and ice skating.
Also by Jaclyn Moriarty
View all-
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
NOTABLE BOOK: 2018 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my parents. Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars
WINNER: 2019 QLD Literary Awards, Griffith University Children's Book AwardSHORT-LISTED: 2019 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute.That's what bothered me most.This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that. The town of Spindrift is frequented by pirates, Shadow...Hardback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst
HONOUR BOOK: 2021 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Children's Literature SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Queensland Literary Awards, Children's Book Award Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst
HONOUR BOOK: 2021 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Children's Literature SHORT-LISTED: 2021 Queensland Literary Awards, Children's Book Award Long ago, the little Prince of Cloudburst was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite. Now, ten years later, the prince has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the...Hardback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Begin, End, Begin
WINNER OF A 2018 BOOK OF THE YEAR ABIA Bestsellers. Award-winners. Superstars. This anthology has them all. With brilliantly entertaining short stories from beloved young adult authors Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson, and Danielle Binks, this all-new collection will show the world exactly how much there is...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
19% off
The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere
Let me get this straight. I'm on a trip with the following people: 1) Bronte, a girl who makes magical 'Spellbinding' rings, 2) Alejandro, a former pirate/current prince who can shoot arrows and make fire from stones, 3) Imogen, who can read broken maps and is a kickboxing master, 4) Esther, who saved her entire world from some kind of...Hardback$2100Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars
WINNER: 2019 QLD Literary Awards, Griffith University Children's Book AwardSHORT-LISTED: 2019 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute. That's what bothered me most. This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that. The town of Spindrift is frequented by...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Time Travel for Beginners
‘A quiet Sydney shop offers impossible journeys to those who need them most.’—The Australian, ‘the big books of 2026’ If you could revisit one moment in your life, what would it be? On a bustling road in Sydney lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of freshly brewed coffee,...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid October -
Pre-order
Astrid and the Accidental Slip Between Worlds
Astrid and the Accidental Slip Between Worlds by Jaclyn Moriarty follows Astrid Mettlestone-Staranise, who can always tell when someone is lying. However, this ability doesn't help when she is thrown from the Kingdoms and Empires into our world—a world that will steal not only her memory but the essence of who she is. Ordinarily, Astrid would rely on her older...Hardback$2699Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableOut 3 Nov 2026Pre-order -
The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
NOTABLE BOOK: 2018 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my parents. Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt...HardbackSold Out
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