THE THIEF OF TIME

Barnes, Farley and Parker begin a bibliophilic magical adventure series for middle-grade readers.

Tweens Ben, Maya, and Bridgette are in the library for different reasons on a Friday evening when they are interrupted by the sound of “hundreds of birds...trying to claw their way through the door” of the library. The librarian, Mr. Lozano, quickly shields them in his office as the windows shatter and “large black birds with creepy red eyes” invade the space. In an attempt to fend off these ominous attackers, Ben throws an ancient book at the birds, surprisingly unleashing a dragon from its pages. The dragon aids their escape while Mr. Lozano guides the kids to a mysterious “portal” that leads to the Library of Alexandria. Though it resembles a mechanic’s garage, this modern library houses the contents of the original, is managed by the Muses, and is concealed from the world. Hidden within the library is Helicon Academy, a training ground for future librarians who are entrusted with defending the institution against the Pierides, mortal enemies who are intent on infiltrating and destroying the library. Although the trio are not descendants of the original librarians (and thus typically ineligible), they are given the opportunity to undergo the “Trials” and potentially gain admittance. After being accepted into the academy as future librarians, the three must navigate their schoolwork while unraveling the hidden secrets within Helicon Academy. What follows will be familiar to readers of similar fare: The protagonists’ journey is not dissimilar to the experiences of characters in popular series like Harry Potter and The School for Good and Evil. But despite the familiar setting and structure, the story is written with a light comic touch, and the unique voices and perspectives of the three central characters distinguish the novel from recent titles in the same genre.

While not entirely original, a captivating and enjoyable start to what promises to be an engaging series.