Thieves of Weirdwood

February 1, 2020
Two young thieves break into a derelict house and discover a mirror world of magic. When Wally Cooper's older brother, Graham, decides to use the side of one of Kingsport's public buildings for his "otherworldly" landscapes, he's quickly arrested. And then his rants about "Rifts" and "Fae-born" conspiracies land him in Greyridge Mental Hospital. Wally must come up with a way to pay the hospital bills fast; although he is a member of the thieving Black Feathers, most of the money he steals is kept by the Rook, the notorious gang's leader. When he hears about a secret job his friend and fellow thief Arthur Benton is planning, he convinces Arthur to let him in on the con. The mark is the ruins of a house called Hazelrigg that Arthur swears is more than it seems after he saw a girl in golden robes carrying swords enter the house. The two break in, find a treasure--and then become tangled up in a mystery made of nightmares. This series opener's both funny and well paced, and the worldbuilding is fantastic, with information emerging about Mirror Kingsport at the same time new oddities arise. Even with so much happening, character development is splendid: Arthur stands out as both flawed and heroic. Wally and his brother are black, Arthur is white. A funny, unusual adventure with enough unanswered questions to have readers eager for Book 2. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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April 27, 2020
When two 12-year-old thieves attempt to rob a spooky, deserted mansion in hopes of landing treasure, they instead stumble into a magical adventure. Aspiring con man Arthur Bentonwants to pay off his father’s debts, while lockpick and pickpocket Wally Cooper must settle medical bills for his brother, who has been institutionalized due to “grand delusions about his role in a citywide conspiracy.” But when the two break into Weirdwood Manor, they discover that it sits on the border between the mundane and Fae worlds, and its inhabitants are dedicated to protecting both realities. With supernatural threats leaking into their own world, courtesy of a Rift in the Veil and a powerful magical artifact, it’s up to Arthur, Wally, and their new friends to thwart a mad scheme imperiling both Kingsport and Mirror Kingsport. With this rousing escapade, Heidicker (Scary Stories for Young Foxes) and narrator Shivering play with the power of belief and the impact of imagination as heroes face off against otherworldly threats and explore the lingering legacy of a notorious Gentleman Thief and his reclusive creator. Strong worldbuilding and great fun carry the story, and occasional illustrations by Early visualize the enchantment. Ages 8–12. Agent: John Cusick at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management.

April 10, 2020

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally need to score some quick cash. Wally's brother, Graham, is in dire straits-stuck in the hospital with a huge unpaid bill, while Arthur's ne'er-do-well father, Harry, owes serious money to loan sharks. Arthur thinks he has found the answer to their problems when he sees a mysterious mansion, and he enlists Wally's lockpicking skills to get in to steal treasure. Little do they know, they've unwittingly stumbled into Weirdwood Manor, and even more nightmares await. Weirdwood Manor is the headquarters of a magical order protecting the divide between the Real and Imaginary worlds. When the Imaginary world enters the Real world, havoc ensues, with people being turned into porcelain dolls and monsters attacking unsuspecting people. Wally likes to think of himself as the "Gentleman Thief," but when he and Arthur are caught, they are at risk in both the Real and Imaginary worlds. Wally is befriended by Breeth, a ghost girl only he can see who can inhabit any living being. With Breeth at his side assisting him into and out of the hospital and manor, he hopes to be able to save his brother, Arthur's dad, and all of Kingsport before it's too late. Unfortunately, the novel's plot lines are fairly convoluted and only the most diehard fantasy lovers will likely appreciate this ghostly adventure. The illustrations are slightly creepy and mysterious, which do complement the story well. VERDICT Shivering's new fantasy series enters into an already crowded genre, and unfortunately the characters and plot will fall flat for many readers.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

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Starred review from May 15, 2020
Grades 6-8 *Starred Review* In the wake of his Newbery Honor Book Scary Stories for Young Foxes (2019), Heidicker adopts an appropriate pseudonym for this equally chilling series opener. Desperate for the money needed to keep his visionary brother Graham safe from ominous experiments in the local asylum, orphan Wally Cooper joins forces with Arthur Benton?another young rascal whose main ambition is to be like Garnett Lacroix, the flamboyant gentleman thief of a cherished series of adventure novels. But their attempted burglary of a supposedly empty mansion pitches them into the midst of a frantic struggle to preserve the fragile Veil that separates the residents of Real Kingsport from the Fae realm of embodied nightmares and imaginings. Unfortunately, those imaginings are already leaking through with rapidly escalating effects: an eerie doll whose touch turns people to porcelain gives way to giant tentacled monsters. Along with spot art, Earley portrays some of these creatures, along with select characters, in a sparse array of expertly modeled portraits. Arthur's climactic realization that the monsters are all drawn from the exploits of his literary hero supplies the key to suppressing this outbreak, but hints of a broader, ongoing conflict remain for sequels. Wally's friend Breeth, an intrepid, pun-loving child ghost who can occupy any organic item, is just one scene-stealer in the unusually colorful supporting cast.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)