The Secret Keepers

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

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. (Sept.)