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The Inventors at No. 8 Hardcover – Illustrated, May 8, 2018

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

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Brimming with mystery and treasure, this action-packed tale sends a boy in need of luck and girl in need of a friend on an adventure that will change their lives forever.

Meet George, the third Lord of Devonshire and the unluckiest boy in London. Why is George so unlucky? First, he's an orphan. Second, unless he sells everything, he's about to lose his house. So when his family's last heirloom, a priceless map to the Star of Victory (a unique gem said to bring its owner success in any battle) is stolen by a nefarious group of criminals, George knows that there is no one less lucky--or more alone--than he is.

That is until Ada Byron, the future Countess of Lovelace, bursts into his life. She promises to help George recover his family legacy, and is determined to find her own father along the way--all in a flying machine she built herself. Joined by a mischievous orangutan and the long-lost son of an infamous pirate, Ada and George take off on a cross-continent journey through the skies that will change their lives, and perhaps the world, forever.
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3–6—Due to a series of extraordinarily unfortunate events (his mother died giving birth to him and his father died roller skating out an upstairs window), 12-year-old George, the third Lord Devonshire, is alone in the world, save for his trusty manservant Frobisher. The pair is scraping by, selling everything left in the family home. Young George has resigned himself to selling his prized possession: his grandfather's map to the Star of Victory, when it is stolen by a mechanical bird. Leaving his house for the first time in two years to pursue the bird, he meets young Ada Byron, intrepid scientist, inventor, and explorer. Ada informs George of a mysterious group, called the Organization, seeking to locate the Star of Victory. She convinces timid George that they need to decipher the map and locate the Star, and the pair, accompanied by Oscar, the son of a pirate, and Ruthie the orangutan, take off in Ada's flying machine. The disparate team moves from London to France, Geneva, and Venice (where they drop in on Charles Darwin) on the trail of the nefarious Organization. But George begins to suspect that Ada may have her own agenda. This raucous adventure keeps a frenetic pace as young George, whose father called him spineless, attempts to justify Ada's faith in him, while Ada secretively battles her own demons. Eventually, both Ada and George find strength through their friendship. VERDICT This lively adventure imagines Ada Byron Lovelace, the notable scientist, as a dauntless young girl. A great inclusion in STEM-focused fiction collections.—Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor School District, Lancaster, PA

Review

Praise for The Inventors at No. 8:
"The breathless plot is jam-packed with roguish thieves, tantalizing clues, and mild intrigue, and the narrative is filled with wry humor and kindness as George gradually gives up his self-centered sense of doom. A pleasing adventure."―
Kirkus Reviews

"Hidden motives and eccentric characters abound in this rollicking adventure."―
WSJ

"Electrifying, whimsical, and wry,
The Inventors at No. 8 is an unmissable adventure for all the future inventresses in your life!"―Sam Maggs, author of Wonder Women and The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy

"This raucous adventure keeps a frenetic pace...A great inclusion in STEM-focused fiction collections."―
School Library Journal

"Morgen pulls off some handy misdirection in her fast-paced debut, and the combination of comical antics, miraculous machines, and a historical setting adds to the appeal."―
Booklist

"This adventure story is full of inventions, suspense, and mayhem. Ada Byron is a great role model for girls...The novel focuses on the theme of family and friendship while emphasizing that family is not always related by blood. This is a great debut novel by Morgen."―
School Library Connection

"This jolly romp has plenty of twists and turns, with anchoring themes of family, friendship, and learning to fight for what you love."―
The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Plenty of hijinks...to please middle-grade adventure readers and lure them back for a second volume."―
BCCB

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition (May 8, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316471496
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316471497
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 770L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 1.13 x 8.13 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

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A. M. Morgen
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A.M. Morgen comes from a long line of engineers and researchers but chose to pursue literature over the laboratory. To her family’s surprise, she has managed to make a decent living as an editor with her English degree. In her spare time, A.M. enjoys taking long walks in the forest, trying out new hobbies (then abandoning them), and complaining about her mean cat. Despite what you may think, A.M. is not a morning person.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
45 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2018
    The first few paragraphs of The Inventors at No. 8 sweeps aside a family – and several servants – in a one-day streak of bad luck that spares only the third Lord Devonshire (George to his friends) and one elderly manservant. The storyline feels like a mashup of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Artemis Fowl in some ways. It’s a quirky bad-luck-strewn steampunk romp through a bygone era, as George teams up with Ada, the daughter of Lord Byron, and Oscar, the son of a famous pirate, to recover his family’s stolen treasure. It’s a huge step for George as he’s pretty much agoraphobic trying to keep his bad luck from sucking in any more victims. In addition to finding his family’s missing treasure, the trio are also searching for Ada’s and Oscar’s fathers.

    Despite all the bad things that keep happening, underneath it all, George is hopeful and struggles to keep trying. George has to overcome his fears and not inconsiderable bad luck as he, Ada, Oscar, and an orangutan adventure across Europe meeting both inspiring and threatening characters along the way. Ada uses her inventions, which include a flying machine, to help them on their journey. Her character, and that of Oscar, are integral to George’s success . The Inventors at No. 8 is an exciting story that celebrates intelligence, independence, science, and perseverance. Incredibly, some of the most interesting aspects are borrowed from real life. I think it’d be a plus if that info was in the front material, rather than an author’s note after the book. I think it’d be fun to guess which inventions and events were real versus those the author imagined.

    A fun enjoyable read, The Inventors at No. 8 is a tale about being brave, taking chances, friendship, family, and much more. Lots of pondering material and good conversation starters here in addition to just being quirky and fun! Highly recommended.

    I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2018
    I loved the rich characters of this novel - but I think I loved reading the post script about Ada Lovelace and reflecting backwards just as much! Love the interwoven facts with the creative fiction. Poor George - he needed Ada in his life - just to have a better outlook! Ada has shown him there is more to life than the columns of his ledger. What an adventure!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2018
    Amazing well written book. My kids really enjoyed reading it. Kudos to the author for her insight and creative writing.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018
    George thinks he's unlucky. He's lost everyone and because he's the third Lord of Devonshire, but still a child, he has no way to make money and has to sell everything he owns to make ends meet. The only possession he has left is an old map created by his grandfather. The map is supposed to lead to the Star of Victory, a gemstone with the power to make its owner victorious. However, George might have to sell his map, so he won't starve. When someone steals it he's beside himself. Because of his bad luck he hasn't left the house in years and now he has to open his front door and step into the wide world if he wants to save his family's legacy.

    While chasing his map George ends up on Ada Byron's doorstep. She's an inventor and has seen a lot of the world already. She's looking for her father and combining their quests seems like a good plan. They will go after the Star of Victory using Ada's favorite flying machine. She's built it herself. While flying they discover they aren't alone, they have two stowaways on board, the son of a pirate and a monkey. Can they help with their mission? Will the overseas journey be a success and will George discover who's behind the theft? Is there a chance he can turn his luck or will he remain unlucky forever?

    The Inventors at No. 8 is a fabulous entertaining adventure. George has lost everyone and everything he holds dear and is afraid and pessimistic because of it. He always acts in an abundance of caution, he sees almost everything as a risk and hopes doing nothing will keep him safe. Life doesn't work that way though and Ada shows George that bravery works. She's a fiery and smart girl. She always has a plan, she's got plenty of secrets and I loved the air of mystery around her. I couldn't wait to find out where their voyage in Ada's flying machine would lead and was captivated by the enchanting The Inventors at No. 8 straight away.

    A.M. Morgen has a fantastic descriptive writing style. I absolutely loved her tone of voice, which contains the exact right amount of irony and perfectly suits the story. I like fierce and capable heroines and Ada definitely falls into that category. She shows George that the world isn't just scary, it's also beautiful and fun and interesting. I enjoyed how A.M. Morgen works with the concept of friendship, sometimes it's unlikely this unusual match will succeed, but there's always something that brings Ada and George together. If they unite, they can do anything and that's such a great theme for a story. I really enjoyed The Inventors at No. 8, it's original, creative and compelling.