The Shakespeare Stealer

Reach for this book when your child is navigating the complex waters of peer pressure, loyalty, or the struggle to find where they belong. It is especially poignant for children who feel like outsiders or those who have had to adapt their personalities to please different authority figures. Through the eyes of an orphan named Widge, readers explore the tension between doing what is required to survive and doing what is right. Set in the vibrant world of Elizabethan London, the story follows Widge as he is sent to illegally scribe Shakespeare's Hamlet. Instead of a simple heist, he finds a family within the theater troupe. This historical adventure offers a sophisticated look at integrity and the power of finding a community that values you for who you are rather than what you can do for them. It is a perfect choice for middle schoolers ready for a fast-paced mystery with deep emotional resonance.