Please Return to the Lands of Luxury is an exciting tale that highlights the importance of family, friendships, and the trust between those relationships! Middle-grade readers will delight in this action-packed tale about three friends, Jane, Timothy and Rodney. When Jane discovers a doll while scouring the landfill with her friends, she notices it's not like any other doll she's found before. This one is well-taken care of and it has writing on it!

Despite protests from Timothy and Rodney, Jane is bound and determined to return the doll to its little girl. Even if it means risking her own life....

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I really loved the uniqueness of the world that Tilton has built within this book. The reader is introduced to so many different lands that feel similar to countries we see today, but still somehow different enough that I didn't feel like I was reading about our world. I also felt so connected and hopeful for the characters. Tilton did a great job with both the younger and older characters.

Based on topics covered and the length of the book, I would highly recommend this one for ages 9-12. They're going to love it!

From the cover, this book already caught my attention. And after reading it, the story was also very moving as well as the adventure was exciting. Stories with friendship, and family always catch my attention.

Such a sweet story. It was definitely something I've never read. However my daughter and I loved the story. Characters were well developed and loveable. I love the ending so much. I'm glad it went the way it did. I was very worried for a while.

Jane lives on the island of Yarborough Ridge surrounded by trash. It’s the only life she has ever known. Her days consist of rummaging through the trash with her friends, Rodney and Timothy, and staying away from the metal men that blast, with their lasers, anyone who doesn’t comply. Jane’s life changes when she finds a doll in the rubbish with a note to be returned to the owner if lost. The only problem is the doll’s owner lives far away in Copiacia, one of the Lands of Luxury, somewhere she is forbidden to venture. Jane sees the importance of this treasure she has found and is determined to return the doll even if it means endangering her life by going against the orders of the metal men.

Loved every surprise and twist of this book. Jane is brave and fearless. She seeks to do and stand up for what is right. Her character shines even more when she does make it to Copiacia but all she wants to do is return to her friends and the only place she knows as home. In Copiacia, Jane is in awe of all the things that are clean and new. She also meets Alvin who helps her locate the owner of the doll. Upon finding the owner she is accepted into a family that loves and treasures her. As much as Jane longs to stay in the Lands of Luxury she must find a way home to warn her friends of the terrible danger they are in.

Themes of friendship, found family that was lost and finding your place in the world are found in this book.

Thank you so much to Blueberry Finch and this platform for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book! This is my first read by Jon Tilton, and it most certainly will not be my last.

This Story is about Jane . A courageous young girl who resides on the island of Yarborough. A unique place surrounded by trash . One day, Jane stumbles upon a special object with a note attached to it , and is determined to return the object to its owner and so begins this heartwarming story . Though this is a story mostly geared towards children , I feel it’s one that can appeal to all ages. As an adult, I absolutely loved this book and appreciated the lessons within it I will be a favorite and one I will
recommend.

Thank you so much to Netgallery and Blueberry Finch for an e-copy of this heartwarming adventure.

I really enjoyed this fast paced middle grade novel and how such an impact full story comfortably unfolds in such a short space of time. Each character is unique with their own poignant personalities, loveable qualities and thought provoking complexities. Despite being targeted at a younger audience, the novel doesn't shy away from emotional issues such as grieving the death of your parents, an adult's fears around having children, and a glaring critique on capitalism's inhumanity.

Would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a quick, accessible read with captivating action, dynamic characters, and plenty of tug-on-the-heartstring moments.

When reading the synopsis, I was convinced I knew what the story would be.
But I was pleasantly surprised! The story takes you on a ride through friendship, found family and evil corporations. Not what I thought at all, especially in such a small book.
I absolutely loved it, and will for sure look out for anything else the author will write in the future.

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book, it didn’t influence my opinion in any way.

I want to start of by talking about the cover. If I would have seen this book in a store I would have picked it up to read the back, it’s colourful, vibrant and all in all very pretty.

The book dives into the plot right away, Jane finds the doll within the first chapter, which starts the book of quick. If it had been a YA I wouldn’t have liked it all that much, and would have liked to see a bit of world building, but I’ve noticed that with Middle Grade it works really well. Tilton does a good job of setting the scene of the book within the first few chapters.

During the book there is some cryptic talk about Jane’s parents, which, slowly but surely, leads to a big reveal. Dropping hints every now and then was a good way to keep me interested and was the lead for some character development.

I confused Timothy and Rodney from time to time cause I felt like they didn’t have very distinct personalities. However I did really like Timothy explaining “big words” as a way of still using them in the story and making them understandable for kids.

I loved the fact the chapters where short. It makes it a good book to read to kids before bedtime, a chapter a night, like my mother used to do to me.
For me - I read the book in one sitting - it was a very good way to pull me into the story. I have noticed that I feel like I read quicker when there are shorter chapters, so I feel more motivated to read on.

There where multiple storylines and I was a bit worried about that, because the book isn’t terribly long, but I feel like they tied together very nice at the end. The ending however felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked to see a bit more of a resolve, cause I’m left with a lot of questions. I don’t know if this was set up for a sequel or not, but there are some lose ends.

All in all I really enjoyed “Please Return to The Lands of Luxury” and I have rated it four stars.

What a fantastic book! So creative, tender, heartwarming and innocent. Follow Timothy, Rodney, and Jane as they take you through a land of trash to a land of Luxory.

The only world Jane has ever known is one filled with trash, where every day is a struggle to find the basic necessities to survive. Despite her difficulties, however, Jane fondly remembers times spent with her late mother. Unfortunately, memories of her late father elude her, and Jane would do almost anything to get them back. One day, Jane comes across a nearly pristine doll in her quotidien search for food—a treasure unlike anything she has ever found. And when she discovers this doll has an address written on it, Jane knows she must venture into the unknown to return it to its rightful owner. Along the way, Jane discovers that her world is not what she first thought, and when she encounters kind-hearted people in the Lands of Luxury, her whole outlook begins to change.

This heartwarming middle grade story examines the many feelings that come from leaving a home one has always known to discover the wider world. Jane has never learned to read, and the food she finds in the mounds of trash on her island is questionable at best. So when she is introduced to the grand life across the sea, she finds herself in a quagmire: stay in comfort and risk forgetting her past, or return home to the difficult life she leads there? Middle grade readers will empathize with Jane’s feelings throughout the book, and as each new realization comes to light, their connection will grow ever deeper.

Middle grade readers will appreciate the short chapters and accessible narrative that make up this book. Told through multiple points of view, the story gives readers glimpses into the minds of various characters, often providing information the characters themselves do not yet know. This design makes the book feel more like a movie, where the action moves around and does not center around only one character. Action, dialogue, and reflection form the foundation of this novel, providing readers with a fast-paced narrative that will keep them engaged at every moment of the book. Though there are occasions when the plot seems to proceed abruptly, the overall storyline is enjoyable. This is a good addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

This book was cute and heartwarming. I loved the journey of the main character and almost wished the book were a bit longer so we could have experienced more of Jane’s story. It was very good, the only thing I had some trouble with was a lot of the dialogue almost sounding stilted.

4 Star

Can we get into this amazing cover. I absolutely loved it and the descriptions really brought the threat of the metal men on the cover to life.

This book was so so wholesome. The found family between Jane, Timothy and Rodney was just heartwarming.

Honestly, I loved seeing Jane's determination to make sure Gloria got her doll and retained the memories attached to it.

Jane is such a sweet character and she deserves all the good things the Land of Luxury has to offer her 🥹.

One thing I learned from this book is the look into how we process grief and how we remember those we have lost. Sometimes the best way to remember a loved one is to talk about the memories you had together.

A worthy read for sure! I really enjoyed the premise, and the dystopian take of what our future might look like. I think this would definitely hit a chord for the younger readers. I'm not very much into books for children, but I am glad for getting this ARC!
The writing style was nice to read, the story was reasonably paced, and I really enjoyed the whole book, even if it did give me a lot of anxiety!

This was a very heartwarming sci-fi middle grade novel about lost things and found family. Three kids find out what bravery really means, and how memories stay with you despite everything. I really enjoyed this short novel, and know that its intended audience will love it as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Blueberry Finch, and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
#PleaseReturntotheLandsofLuxury #NetGalley

This was a fun little middle grade book with plenty of adventure and a unique world-building. Jane is such a great, heartfelt protagonist. She’s very easy to root for and someone you want to succeed and have the best life possible. While I like how Rodney and Timothy’s chapters tie into the ending, I wasn’t as interested in what they were up to as I was with Jane’s chapters.

I also wasn’t expecting the main plot to resolve so quickly. I expected Jane to spend most of the book trying to search for the owner of the doll, but she completed this quest about 30% of the way through the book. The rest of the book followed her learning more about the Lands of Luxury and trying to return home to save her friends and the island of trash.

Despite this, I still thought the story was interesting and found the idea of people living on a trash island unique from other middle grade books. This book has a solid, feel good ending and I like how the author tied everything together with Jane’s memories of her father.

Jane and her friends Timothy and Rodney enjoy going trash hunting for odds and ends in Yarborough Ridge. They all live in underground dwellings called the Burrows, each dwelling tucked into a small hill of trash.


One day while hunting for treasure, Jane finds a doll with a tag and a message written on it—Please return to Gloria Thatcher, 1 Spring Blossom Way”. Another line reads a set of codes for a place in ‘Copiacia.

Copiacia is one of the Lands of Luxury—where all the junk comes from.
A man with cyclops eyes dubbed the “Metal Man usually delivers trash from the Land of Luxury as well as supplies them with fresh drinking water. Jane figures she could ask the Metal Man could help return the doll to Gloria Thatcher.

But all does not go as planned. So Jane sneaks inside the Metal Man’s truck hoping to get to the Lands of Luxury.

Thank you to John TIlton, NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book.

I found this to be a shorter, sweet dystopian tale (can you put those words together) that would definitely appeal to younger readers.

Jane lives on an island of trash - she scavenges for food, picks up a bottle of water each meal, and live in a burrow made of trash. Life is hard, but it is the life she knows and cherishes. This is her home, after all! Then Jane finds a doll - a beautiful, clean doll that definitely doesn't belong in Yarborough Ridge! And so Jane sets off, determined to rerun to doll to the girl in the label. Even when her best friends tell her she shouldn't do it, Jane persists and against all odds, and arrives in a world she never imagined existed.

This is a story of friendship, chosen family, determination and survival. I was left with questions about how the trash island came into being and how the people who lived there were forgotten but I hope future books light elaborate in this more. Overall, this was a fun read that I absolutely cen sew drawing in younger readers .

First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to the Author, Jon Tilton, Blueberry Finch Publishing, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this amazingly written Children's novel. I literally could not put this book down! It was that good!

The story follows Jane and her two friends Rodney and Timothy when they embark along on their usual dumpster diving adventure in Yarborough Ridge's garbage collection. On this particular day they find a very special item in the dumpster with a tag labeled "return to Gloria Thatcher (with an address also attached).
With the odds stacked against her Jane vows to get this precious item back to its rightful owner, but to accomplish this task, Jane must risk her life and get passed dangerous deadly robots that keep the residents in Yarborough from ever leaving the island. This story is very engaging and entertaining! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading and an engaging story.

The only critical feedback I would give is that I thought the author could have given a better introduction of the metal men who are essentially the gatekeepers of the town, as well as a more thorough explanation of the purpose and role of the enapoli. Also, as a reader I would have loved more information surrounding the town of Yarborough Ridge and exactly what happened there to cause such a differentiation and divide between the two worlds of the Lands of Luxury and Yarborough city. It had a bit of a sequel feel to it. However, apart from that it is amazingly written; it has great characters, great development, an excellent plot and great messages for kids. It showcased strength, bravery, forgiveness, friendship, doing the right thing despite the odds and love and family. I really loved the relationship between the characters, it all seemed to develop so naturally. The book did a great job showcasing the dynamics of family and loving relationships. I would love to read more about the adventures in Yarborough Ridge and the Lands of Luxury as well as Doomed Dune. I would definitely recommend to young readers, parents, teachers and librarians.

Thank you NetGalley and Blueberry Finch for the ARC.

A thrilling middle grade adventure following Jane as she embarks on a journey to the Lands of Luxury. This was a super easy read that had me smiling from the very first chapter. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a short, heartwarming read.

Jane, Rodney and Timothy live on an island made of trash. Amongst the latest batch of trash to the island, Jane finds a doll, but this doll is like nothing Jane has ever seen - it is in perfect condition. And there begins her adventure, as the doll has a label asking "please return to Gloria Thatcher" and lists an address in a land Jane never thought she would see.

This is a heartwarming story following a courageous main character, best friends learning to be brave, wondrous adventure and heartbreaking moments. I really enjoyed the instances of found family in this book, as well as how it highlighted the importance of remembering what you've been through and where you've come from.

"It's okay to be scared, so long as we're still brave for those we love."

The characters were all incredibly likeable, and I loved seeing a story from a younger perspective. Even in such a short story, there was room for them all to grow and it was a pleasure to read. This book really encompassed what I loved about stories when I was younger - 'if the grown ups won't, we will'.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and cannot wait to read more middle grade stories and from Jon Tilton.

Unputdownable! A dystopian middle grade adventure of hope, bravery, found family and friendship, not giving up, and finding oneself, and one’s memories. I loved the way memories were recalled and smells are the last things we forget. Jane, Rodney and Timothy have stayed in my heart and the writing is so good that I couldn’t put it down. Totally engaging and easy to read, Tilton has created a world in which we want to stay a little longer. “Altogether grand!” One of those middle grades adults will also love, and we can’t wait to see a sequel of.