Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It's Criminal

Fans of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Roald Dahl will gobble up this hilarious story about a secret boarding school for thieves-in-training!

Troublemaking George has never heard of Pilfer Academy, a top-secret school for cultivating young crooks, until he's kidnapped as its newest student. The teachers are kooky at best, and naughty does not even begin to describe his sneaky, smart, and morally bankrupt new classmates. Between disguise classes, cracking safes, and DIY gadgets, George becomes an expert bandit and finds true friendship with Tabitha, his new partner-in-crime. But everything is ruined when George comes to a shocking realization: He is just too good-hearted to be a thief!

Unfortunately, not thieving is not an option at Pilfer Academy, and "misbehaving" students face Dean Deanbugle's favorite punishment--the Whirlyblerg! In order to gain their freedom, George and Tabitha must pull the biggest heist the school has ever seen and reveal their true colors not as thieves, but as kind (and, okay, mischievous) kids.

BIG NEWS: TV movie rights optioned to Nickelodeon!

***Praise for Pilfer***

"A charming take on the traditional boarding school story . . . an ideal choice for readers who wish boarding school books had a little more mischief."
-Booklist

"Magaziner (The Only Thing Worse Than Witches) establishes an anything-can-happen atmosphere from the start . . . and the goofiness, pranks, and student sabotage don't let up from there. As George decides whether he truly aspires to a life of crime, Magaziner delivers an entirely enjoyable twist on a classic boarding school adventure."
-Publishers Weekly
 
"School-story buffs with a taste
for absurd, off-kilter humor will find this a welcome addition
to the mix."
-The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books
 
"Magaziner creates another weird and silly world that mirrors Hogwarts without the magic
. . . A fun fantasy romp."
-Kirkus Reviews
 
"Filled with intelligent, resourceful, competitive kids and eccentric, sometimes idiotic adults, this is an enjoyable middle-grade novel for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl . . . Those who enjoy oddities and absurdities are sure to enjoy their time at Pilfer Academy."
-School Library Connection

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