The School for Thieves by Peter Burns

What worked:

Young readers are curious about things they’re not supposed to do, so a book about thieves should pique their interest. Tom is recruited to join the school, but his motivation is to rescue his friends from a workhouse. He was born in one, so he knows about the violence and hopelessness found there. Learning to become a criminal may sound immoral, but Tom’s recruiter, Corsair, explains the rationale behind the school and the Shadow League. Their role is to maintain balance between the three ruling superpowers, and that often requires the talents of trained thieves, spies, and assassins. That may sound wrong, but Corsair makes the Shadow League’s purpose palatable. Tom enrolls in the school midterm, and he knows he lacks background knowledge compared to other students. However, Tom has street smarts and life experience that will more than make up for the school knowledge he’s missed. Plus, Tom’s willing to work hard and do anything to rescue his gang.

Tom was rescued from the workhouse when he was seven, and he owes his freedom to Morris. Morris calls himself a magician who traveled the world before his death, following his arrest. Tom learns many skills from him that are useful in surviving the streets, but Tom doesn’t know where Morris learned them. Tom learns to pick pockets and run cons, but identifying snatchers may be most important. Morris tells him many entertaining stories, and Tom assumes they’re fictional. Little does Tom know, but the School for Thieves is real. The book’s second half is set at the school, and Tom learns more about the Shadow League, too. There is dissent within the league, as some members believe they should be running the world rather than the ruling groups. This conflict is similar to books where characters with super abilities think they should be ruling humans.

The school is reminiscent of books where kids head off to learn specialized skills that “normal” people don’t know about. Tom has his own room for the first time in his life, and he becomes friends with other first-year students. He’s bullied by a legacy student until he lets the boy and his cronies know he won’t be a victim. The school instructors are masters of their craft, and their instructional materials are based on “real” events. There are textbooks, projects, and tests just like readers will have experienced in their own schools. A teacher might reference a seemingly impossible crime they’ve committed and ask the students how they would do it. The story includes a competition between the different houses at the school, and a final challenge where winners from different schools complete a real mission.

What didn’t work as well:

It feels wrong to glorify characters who are criminals, but the book isn’t more violent or unseemly than most other middle-grade novels. It’s comparable to books involving spies or characters who do things that are against the rules.

The final verdict:

This book is most appropriate for upper-middle-grade readers due to the content and maturity of the text. There’s nothing inappropriate or profane, but reading about assassins, criminals, and political espionage isn’t suitable for elementary-age students. Overall, I highly recommend the book to a more experienced, developed middle-grade audience.