The city may be dangerous, but it holds his only hope…

Abandoned on a remote highway after bandits murder his parents, young Olifur finds safety with Fritjof. The gruff woodsman teaches him and other orphans to live off the land. When Fritjof falls ill, Olifur will risk everything to save his mentor—even travel to far-off Melar seeking a doctor.

However, the city of Melar is more perilous than Olifur imagined, and doctors aren’t cheap. His quest leads him first to a hazardous job working on the elevated trains high above the city. But the dangers in the clouds are nothing compared to those on the ground. Olifur soon finds himself ensnared in a web of professional thieves, and he must think fast if he is to survive the day and bring the much-needed aid to Fritjof before it is too late.

Part of the A Classic Retold series.

When Olifur’s parents were killed on the road to Melar, his life was destroyed. Now he has a new mentor and family thanks to Fritjof, who takes him in and teaches him how to survive in the woods. However, when Fritjof becomes ill, Olifur must brave town to find a doctor. Jenelle Leanne Schmidt’s Steal the Morrow loosely adapts Oliver Twist into a fantasy setting. But while Dickens explored themes of poverty and society’s treatment of the poor, Schmidt focuses on personal challenges. Steal the Morrow examines personal integrity and the value of reputation in a light fantasy setting.

Best for: Older middle grade readers, fans of classic literature retellings, fantasy settings light on the magic.

Discern: Cruelty toward children and poor people, brief violence ending in death, adults teach children to steal.