The Collectors

2019 Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book

“Original, brave, and addictive.”—Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of the Newbery Honor Book The Inquisitor’s Tale

Fast-paced, witty, and riveting, this contemporary fantasy adventure has magic woven through every page. The Collectors begins an enchanting two-book series from Jacqueline West, the New York Times–bestselling author of The Books of Elsewhere series. For fans of Serafina and the Black Cloak, The Isle of the Lost, and The Secret Keepers.

Van has always been an outsider. He’s hard of hearing, collects trinkets, and lives with his single mother—an opera singer with a huge personality. Then one day, Van notices a girl stealing pennies from a fountain, and everything changes. He follows the girl, Pebble, and uncovers an underground society full of wishes and the people who collect them. Not all wishes are good and even good wishes often have unintended consequences, and the Collectors have made it their duty to protect us. But they arent the only ones who have their eyes on the world’s wishes—and they may not be the good guys, after all.

Jacqueline West spins a story about friendship, magic, and the gray area between good and evil. The Collectors is for fans of Cassie Beasley’s Circus Mirandus and Jonathan Auxier’s The Night Gardener. Booklist calls it, “A brilliant fantasy adventure exploring the consequences of getting what you wish for.”

A Hidden World: Beneath the city streets lies a secret, magical society of Collectors who gather the world’s wishes from fountains and birthday candles. An Unlikely Friendship: When quiet, observant Van follows a mysterious girl named Pebble, he’s pulled into an adventure he never expected. Magical Creatures: Not all wishes are harmless, and Van soon discovers that another group is after them—and the strange creatures that make them come true. Moral Ambiguity: In a world where wishes have consequences, Van must decide who the real good guys are... before it’s too late. A Hard of Hearing Hero: Van’s sharp eyes and unique way of experiencing the world make him the only one who can uncover the truth.