If you want a clean adventure for a middle grade book-lover, you should check out James Riley’s Story Thieves.
Life is boring when you live in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series. Owen knows that better than anyone, what with the real world’s homework and chores.
But everything changes the day Owen sees the impossible happen—his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the library. It turns out Bethany’s half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.
Bethany can’t let anyone else learn her secret, so Owen makes her a deal: All she has to do is take him into a book in Owen’s favorite Kiel Gnomenfoot series, and he’ll never say a word. Besides, visiting the book might help Bethany find her father…
…Or it might just destroy the Kiel Gnomenfoot series, reveal Bethany’s secret to the entire world, and force Owen to live out Kiel Gnomenfoot’s final (very final) adventure.
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There is no language, fantasy and superhero violence but no gore, and plenty of easter egg book references. There are also a few spoilers, but for big series’ like Harry Potter. There are light crushes, but it never goes further than hand-holding. For me as a kid, it was a fun adventure, and coming back now, I understood a few more of the jokes and references. Though also as a kid, it slightly creeped me out that the villain was faceless and featureless. Think Spot from the latest Spiderverse movie.
This book isn’t exactly deep or powerfully nourishing to the spirit, nor is it particularly complex or thoughtful reading, but it is clean and a nice little romp without an agenda – which in itself is getting harder and harder to find these days.
If you have a middle grade kid who’s a voracious reader, or are one yourself, and are looking for a clean adventure series, go check out Story Thieves.
Anyone read this series? Any thoughts you’d like to add? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.
Hope you all have a great week. Until next time, cheers!
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