The Thieving Collectors of Fine Children's Books - by Adam Perry (Hardcover)

About the Book

A pair of book collectors infiltrate the mind of ten-year-old Oliver Nelson, the last person to read a rare recently destroyed book, which thrusts Oliver into the story where he helps the characters reach the ending before the collectors steal it.

Book Synopsis

"A genre-bending, heart-pounding middle-grade romp into a potential future. . . . Perry's layered approach makes for a masterpiece that feels both familiar yet wholly new." --Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW

"This takes getting lost in a book to a whole new level. I loved it!" --James Riley, New York Times-bestselling author of the Story Thieves series

"Once you start this book, you truly can't stop. An adventure full of cheeky charm and delightful whimsy." --Marie Lu, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Skyhunter

"A fast, fun, furiously inventive, and frequently frightful read." --Geoff Rodkey, New York Times-bestselling author of the Tapper Twins series and We're Not from Here

This clever, fast-paced adventure is a mix of the Story Thieves series and Ready Player One!

Oliver Nelson has a terrible secret-he's a thief.

But he only steals books from the Garden Grove Library that are old, musty, brittle, or incomplete, like his favorite book, The Timekeeper's Children. No one reads anymore, and surely no one will miss them, right? Wrong.

The Pribbles are famous inventors of the most popular toy in the world, alternate-reality goggles. They are also book collectors who are searching for The Timekeeper's Children, so the Pribbles hatch a plan. They invite Oliver, the last person to have checked it out, to their mansion and use special software from their goggles to steal the last remaining copy of the book--from inside Oliver's mind.

Now, Oliver is thrust into the middle of the story and must help the main characters steal pieces scattered around the fictional world of Dulum to build a magical clock that can turn back time before the evil sorcerer Sigil takes over. They'll encounter hideous giants, bloodsucking bats, vicious eels, a Nasty Rodent Eater, a gang of wicked children, and a strange, dark figure that follows them from chapter to chapter, all the while with the Pribbles in pursuit.

Can Oliver save Dulum before Sigil destroys everything? And will he finish The Timekeeper's Children before the Pribbles steal it from his mind?

Review Quotes

A genre-bending, heart-pounding middle-grade romp into a potential future. . . . Perry's layered approach makes for a masterpiece that feels both familiar yet wholly new.-- "Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW"

A fast-paced, funny tale set in the not too distant future that features an amusing cast of characters. . . . Much in the style of a classic Roald Dahl, this adventure story has a pleasing tongue-in-cheek style.-- "School Library Journal"

This rollicking metafictional fantasy by Perry . . . aligns fantasy stories with the sorts of video games that are their conceptual descendants, a move that results in an imaginative read for fans of the Land of Stories series.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Joining two young protagonists in the novel's world and a comical avian narrator with low self-esteem, Oliver faces giant spiders and like challenges . . . on the way to a "Dark and Twisted End" that-spoiler alert!-is plenty twisted but not terribly dark. A fortunate event, all in all, for fans of tongue-in-cheek tales with metafictive elements.-- "Booklist"

Once you start this book, you truly can't stop. An adventure full of cheeky charm and delightful whimsy.-- "Marie Lu, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Skyhunter"

Short chapters with deadpan titles and manufactured cliffhangers add to the fun, but an unexpected twist ending and an affecting (if self-styled "mildly sappy") epilogue highlight the complex relationship between authors and readers and the power of stories to change lives. . . . Exactly the sort of thing you'll like if you like this sort of thing.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A fast, fun, furiously inventive, and frequently frightful read.-- "Geoff Rodkey, New York Times-bestselling author of the Tapper Twins series and We're Not from"

This takes getting lost in a book to a whole new level. I loved it!-- "James Riley, New York Times-bestselling author of the Story Thieves series"

About the Author

Adam Perry is the author of The Magicians of Elephant County. The son of an elementary school librarian, he discovered a love of stories at an early age. He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife, children, and a growing collection of books. To the best of his knowledge, none of them are stolen. Find out more at adamperrybooks.com.