Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he's never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared. They live quietly until the night a stranger arrives with a warning.

The next day, Mo starts packing but won't tell Meggie why.

They must go into hiding. But from what? From whom? Soon, Mo's secret is revealed. He has the amazing ability to breathe life into stories, to make characters come alive.

Years ago, he accidentally released a merciless villain from a book called Inkheart. And now, this hateful criminal is after Mo and his extraordinary gift ... Meggie is hurled into the adventure of a lifetime, where the imaginary has become real.

It's up to her to find a way to alter the course of the story that holds them all in its power.