The Patron Thief of Bread

"The Patron Thief of Bread" is a beautifully crafted middle-grade novel that follows eight-year-old Duck, an orphan raised by a band of street urchins known as the Crowns. When the Crowns settle in the city of Odierne, Duck is tasked with infiltrating a local bakery as an apprentice to steal bread and coin. However, the kindness of Master Griselde, the baker, challenges Duck's allegiance to her found family and forces her to question her identity and who she truly wants to be. Told with alternating viewpoints, including that of an ancient gargoyle watching from the cathedral roof, this 512-page story delves into themes of loyalty, self-discovery, and the meaning of home. It's ideal for readers aged 8-11 who enjoy rich fantasy, character-driven plots, and stories about moral dilemmas and belonging.

A beautifully crafted middle-grade novel spiced with magic—and gargoyles!—from the acclaimed author of Hour of the Bees and Race to the Bottom of the Sea. Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run—until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to set down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat: one of their very own will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde than Duck’s allegiances start to blur. Who is she really—a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.