The Secret Keepers

Starred review from July 18, 2016
It’s summer vacation for 12-year-old Reuben Pedley, a resident of a rundown neighborhood in New Umbra, a city ruled by a mysterious figure known as the Smoke and his minions, the Directions, who constantly patrol the city. While Reuben’s mother is at work, he spends his days exploring; one afternoon, he finds a leather pouch containing a strange antique watch. In attempting to discover the secret of the watch, Reuben attracts the unwanted attention of the Smoke and the Directions. Reuben teams up with Penny and Jack Meyers, descendants of one of the original owners of the watch and keepers of a dark family secret, to outsmart the Smoke and free New Umbra from his clutches. Stewart (the Mysterious Benedict Society series) has created an exciting, fully imagined world filled with mystery and danger, where children can have real adventures without parental supervision. He doesn’t shy from putting the children in true danger, both physical and moral, keeping readers on tenterhooks until the final page. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Eric Simonoff, William Morris Endeavor. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

July 1, 2016
A solitary boy with a penchant for finding "spots where no one would ever think to look" finds a mysterious watch and unravels a series of startling secrets.Growing up in shabby New Umbra, white, 11-year-old Reuben lives with his widowed mother. Exploring a precarious ledge, Rueben finds a case containing a spherical watch that enables him to become temporarily invisible. Excited and empowered, Reuben experiments with his secret watch but is worried when he hears that The Smoke, an ambiguous character controlling New Umbra, is desperate to find the watch and has his bullies searching for it. An inscription on the watch case leads Reuben to a lighthouse where a young white girl named Penny reveals a long-kept family secret. Reuben discovers there are really two watches and whoever holds both becomes immortal. Convinced The Smoke already possesses the other watch, methodical Reuben must rely on moxie and wits to confront him on his own turf. Despite the novel's daunting length and Reuben's tendency to overthink everything, there are enough hidden tunnels, concealed traps, enigmatic secrets, hair-raising surprises, quirky characters, and ethical dilemmas to keep the plot buzzing. Sudyka supplies atmospheric black-and-white spot illustrations done in ink and wash. Fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007) will welcome Stewart's latest puzzling adventure, whose seemingly ordinary hero proves quite extraordinary. (Adventure. 8-12)

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Starred review from July 1, 2016

Gr 5 Up-Parkour practitioner Reuben Pedley has been having a hard time since his mom lost her job and they had to move to a different (and poorer) part of the city. Friendless, he spends his days avoiding the Directions, the enforcement officers of the mysterious Smoke, who runs the city. On one of these afternoons, he finds a very interesting object after getting himself stuck on a ledge while he was supposed to be at home. What he discovers crammed in the masonry of a wall is an extremely old pocket watch that he is certain is worth a large sum and might just help him and his mother leave the poor part of town. Instead, he realizes that the watch has a little bit of magic in it, which gives him a special ability. Regrettably, the Directions learn of the presence of the watch, and they will stop at nothing to bring it to the Smoke. Only Reuben and his newfound friends have what it takes to solve the mystery of the watch and save their city. VERDICT Fans of Stewart's "Mysterious Benedict Society" and series like it will devour his latest novel. This epic story filled with adventure and twists and turns is certain to keep readers' interest from beginning to end.-Wayne R. Cherry Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Reuben Pedley discovers an antique pocket watch with the power to turn the bearer invisible. As Reuben seeks the history of the watch and why villain The Smoke is so desperate to get his hands on it, the plot builds with a clean, comprehensible line that makes the over-five-hundred pages read effortlessly. Black-and-white illustrations lend a slightly gloomy, timeworn air.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2016
While on a surreptitious expedition through the Lower Downs of New Umbra, Reuben Pedley discovers a treasure: an antique pocket watch with a winding key. His attempts to sell the watch attract the attention of The Smoke, the elusive power that holds all of New Umbra in its thrall. With the help of elderly watchmaker Mrs. Genevieve, Reuben discovers the watch's amazing power: when the hour hand is set to twelve and the key is wound, the watch turns the bearer invisible. And so begins Reuben's adventure, seeking the history of the watch among a family of lighthouse keepers and learning why The Smoke is so desperate to get his hands on it. The plot builds with a simplicity that slots each element firmly into place before adding complications, leading to a clean, comprehensible line that makes the book's nearly six hundred pages flow effortlessly. Stewart (The Mysterious Benedict Society, rev. 3/07, and sequels) is thoroughly in touch with young readers' delight in all things sneaky and hidden, and for Reuben in particular, the desire to observe without being observed is in line with his character. Will Reuben be able to use his understanding of the watch's fascination to anticipate The Smoke's next move without being seduced by the watch's power himself? Sudyka's black-and-white vignette art at the chapter headings, and frequent full-page illustrations, lend a slightly gloomy, timeworn air to the proceedings as Stewart's ingenious what if? unspools to its thrilling conclusion. anita l. burkam

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)