Ben Miller’s new book The Night We Got Stuck in a Story finds two children going through hollow of a tree into a storybook land, where wind and rain rage and a mysterious creature lives. Here, he picks other great tales that take us through a portal.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
THE classic portal story. Four children find a magical snowbound land in the back of a wardrobe. As a child I loved that the door to Narnia was inside something as ordinary as a wardrobe. It sends your imagination spinning!
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A young girl falls down a rabbit hole into a world of Mad Hatter tea parties and angry playing cards. My daughter Lana loves the idea of being able to jump into a fantasy world and meeting all the colourful characters.
The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton
Elves, pixies and talking creatures live in a magical tree, the top of which is a portal to a world of adventures. And what child wouldn’t want to be friends with Moon-Face or Silky the Fairy?
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
In the iconic scene at King’s Cross station, Harry and his pals travel from Platform 9 ¾ into the magical world. This series is great at showing the magical world alongside the real world.
Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James
When classic children’s book characters like Anne of Green Gables and Alice in Wonderland start appearing in a bookshop, our hero Tilly must join forces with them to solve a mystery.
