09 May 2010

the Secret Stealer

A Grand History of the Curse and its Accursees, Volume 267: James Winchester IV

by Jess Webster

Glass House Books. Australian, Young Adult, Fantasy. Paperback rrp $24.95


Nine year old James Winchester IV should have never spoken to the strange and charming man in a morning suit, top hat and VERY shiny shoes. How was he to know that this man was the Secret Stealer and James would become next in line.

Once your deepest secret has been stolen from you, the Secret Stealers can manipulate you for wealth and possessions. There is one small problem. Secret Stealers are invisible to all but a few and they cannot touch or hold anything. It is like they are a ghost. So what good are wealth and possessions to them?

Domenic Mancini has been stealing secrets for over 200 years and has tired of it. He has found his true love and wants to be able to hold her in his arms. All he needs is to trick someone into taking over his role. Poor James Winchester IV is the target.

What Domenic didn’t consider was who might be there to help James. Could a nine-year-old outsmart a 200-year-old Secret Stealer?

The Secret Stealer is a wonderful imaginative tale exploring what could possibly happen if someone knew your deepest, darkest secret. Children will delight in picturing James floating through the air and going through walls, eavesdropping on fellow school mates and adults and travelling the globe without the need of a plane. What marvellous fun.

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