"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? Gr 3-7-Oliver Nelson is a mostly good if pessimistic kid with a secret: He's a book thief. This wouldn't be a problem-after all, no one visits the local public library anymore-except the Pribbles, two wealthy inventors and book collectors, have taken a sudden interest in one of the books Oliver stole, and his attempt to return it ends in disaster when the book is instead tossed into a garbage truck. Soon, Oliver is sucked into the Pribbles' latest invention, a virtual reality device that will allow them to take the book's plot straight out of his head. Now Oliver must assist the main characters on their quest-all while avoiding giants, bats, eels, and, of course, the Pribbles-in order to escape. This is a fast-paced, funny tale set in the not too distant future that features an amusing cast of characters. Oliver is perhaps a bit too insightful for the average 10-year-old, but his quick wit and humor are sure to captivate readers. Primary characters present as white. VERDICT Much in the style of a classic Roald Dahl, this adventure story has a pleasing tongue-in-cheek style. Recommended purchase.-Kaitlin Frick, Darien Lib., CTα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. 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 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 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 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