Geronimo Stilton #1: Lost Treasure Of The Emerald Eye By Elisabetta Dami Published by Sweet Cherry Publishing

LOOKING back at the books that got me excited to read on my own when I was younger, one of the first series that comes to mind is Geronimo Stilton.

It’s only really when revisiting books like this that you realise what a huge impact they had on you at the time and feel the need to share them so that others, particularly around the ages of five to nine, can have the same experiences.

Devouring these books and getting to look forward to the next one was a big part of the development of my reading and passion for books, along with the subsequent Kingdom Of Fantasy series by the same author that makes the perfect transition into more complex stories for older readers.

This series is set in New Mouse City and is focused around Geronimo Stilton, smarter than the average mouse, who is the editor of a major newspaper. He’s a grounded, responsible worker until the day his bold and adventurous sister Thea finds a treasure map for a far-off island and his life takes an unexpected turn.

She convinces him to go on a treasure hunt and they set off on a boat with his cousin Trap and nephew Benjamin.

They may not always get on along the way, but the journey does have a fun and lighthearted family dynamic that adds to the humour of the book. The way the main characters interact makes them feel much more relatable and the reader roots for them in their bid to find the treasure.

Alhough the book follows a gripping action narative that’s easy for younger readers to understand, what really held my attention during this series was the theme of family.

The stories teach the reader in a way that doesn’t feel forced or condescending about genuinely caring for those around you, working as a team and opening yourself up to new opportunities.

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The latter particularly stands out, as at the beginning of the book Geronimo was hesitant to step out of his comfort zone, but as the story progresses he finds himself with more of a sense of adventure, an increased appreciation for his sister’s view of life and something exciting to write about. This all perfectly sets up the series of children’s action novels that follow.

What made these books so exciting when I was younger was that I could finish them in one or two days and not do much else for that period of time. They are only around 100 pages, they have fun plot lines, engaging characters and a unique font technique which makes some words stand out by changing the way they look to correspond to their meaning and highlight their importance on the page in that moment of the story. Along with some illustrations, this adds a sense of whimsy to the novel that makes it neither too childish nor too confusing for those who are reasonably new to reading on their own.

I thought of this to recommend due its fun mouse-based gimmick that portrays valuable themes of healthy family relationships and tells an appealing story. All of this is done with a great writing style and a long series to look forward to.