Inkheart (book #1), Cornelia Funke

Meggie loves stories, but her father, Mo, hasn't read to her since her mother disappeared. When a stranger knocks at their door, Mo is forced to reveal an extraordinary secret – when he reads aloud, words come alive, and dangerous characters step out of the pages.

Suddenly Meggie is living the kind of adventure she has only read about in books, but this one will change her life for ever ... A thrilling and magical adventure about stories and the imagination they inspire.