Kindle
$8.79
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$12.29
Paperback
$10.99
$12.29 with 39 percent savings
List Price: $19.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 6 hrs 55 mins
In Stock
$$12.29 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.29
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Lindsay Eagar
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Patron Thief of Bread Hardcover – May 11, 2022

by Lindsay Eagar (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
Editors' pick Best Books Ages 9-12
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.29","priceAmount":12.29,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"29","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"2C7Gqs%2FAMVMFh0ie%2BZxT5tT%2BErS1btSL7WoEcxUcGe68dH%2FlqLcDRHE3xTHiByaHiz76IlsnPeOc3iLx9ft9500Llu7rsynMos9J1bB1WZSvVKu7okUPlwvuL3ym6If8ncY1Abe1i9eohEurXbc7fg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A beautifully crafted middle-grade novel spiced with magic—and gargoyles!—from the acclaimed author of Hour of the Bees and Race to the Bottom of the Sea.

Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run—until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to set down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat: one of their very own will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde than Duck’s allegiances start to blur. Who is she really—a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 14 years
  2. Print length
    448 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 9
  5. Lexile measure
    840L
  6. Dimensions
    5.88 x 1.38 x 8.56 inches
  7. Publisher
    Candlewick
  8. Publication date
    May 11, 2022
  9. ISBN-10
    1536204684
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1536204681
  11. See all details
Next page
New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade. New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade.

Frequently bought together

The Patron Thief of Bread
$12.29
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
The Switch
$14.89
Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
$12.29
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

From the Publisher

friendship, belonging, family, self discovery, coming of age, orphans

A stunning, heartfelt middle-grade novel that takes place in medieval France!

"The engrossing story is imbued with real suspense and a gorgeous warmth, and it’s a particular joy to watch Duck blossom. . . Vivid descriptions and gentle introspection easily transport readers into the teeming medieval world, but at its core, it’s an utterly enchanting exploration of family in its many forms."

— Booklist (starred review)

"The plot, borne along by Eagar’s flawless, compelling voice, swells like a loaf of bread proofing: slowly, but developing delicious flavor as it grows... the story comes to a hopeful conclusion that is balanced by wry, but not bitter, complexity."

— The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

adventure; fantasy; friendship; romance; love; fear; performance; circus; family; paranormal friendship, belonging, family, self discovery, coming of age, orphans families; magical realism; heritage; dementia; coming of age adventure; pirates; sailing; grief; mourning; steampunk; science
The Family Fortuna The Patron Thief of Bread Hour of the Bees Race to the Bottom of the Sea
Customer Reviews
3.3 out of 5 stars
14
4.8 out of 5 stars
20
4.6 out of 5 stars
602
4.4 out of 5 stars
57
Price $11.99 $12.29 $9.85 $9.99
Read more of Lindsay Eagar's books! Beaked. Feathered. Avita was born to be the star of her family’s circus. But when she sees the hideous monster a handsome artist draws her as, she’s determined to be more. Will her escape plan bring down her whole family’s livelihood? Young Duck infiltrates the local baker’s home to help her family, a band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns. But after apprenticing for kindly Griselde, her allegiances start to blur. Who is she really—and who does she want to be? Carolina — Carol — is helping her parents move her grandfather into a home for people with dementia. At first, she avoids prickly Grandpa Serge. But as the summer wears on, his magical stories start to seem like they could actually be possible… When Fidelia’s parents are killed in a tragic accident, she is racked by grief — and guilt for inventing the submarine they died in. But she’s suddenly forced out of mourning when she’s kidnapped by pirates looking for lost treasure!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-For 90 years, a group of stone gargoyles watched from atop the unfinished cathedral that overlooks Odierne, before a woman, escaping the constables with her baby, jumps from beside their perch into the raging river below. Eight years later, the Crowns, eight children devoted to one another and to survival, arrive in the town and find themselves in the cathedral, a place that hasn't yet been claimed by any other gang, and decide to stay. To do this, they place their youngest member Duck as an apprentice with Odierne's baker, from whom she can skim coins and bread for the family. The plot develops smoothly as Duck faces increasingly difficult choices while learning from her new master in her first permanent home, and while witnessing new dangers for the only family she has ever known. The gargoyles, with one as a narrator, are used as a bookend for the story, providing readers with the cathedral's and Duck's background. As Duck becomes more familiar with breadmaking and reading, she continues to look for a way to take care of her entire family while juggling her own blossoming dreams. Eagar has written a complex and layered novel, with a vivid setting of medieval France and powerful themes of home and community. VERDICT A first purchase for libraries where Adam Gidwitz's The Inquisitor's Tale is popular.-Betsy Fraserα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

The engrossing story is imbued with real suspense and a gorgeous warmth, and it’s a particular joy to watch Duck blossom. . . Vivid descriptions and gentle introspection easily transport readers into the teeming medieval world, but at its core, it’s an utterly enchanting exploration of family in its many forms.
—Booklist (starred review)

[M]ore impressive are the ways she [Eagar] not only wields atmospheric language to make both her vaguely medieval, vaguely French setting and the art and craft of bread making vivid, but kneads her protagonist (the two-legged one) into a resilient, responsible soul who can stay true to everyone she loves no matter how difficult or disagreeable. . . Ambitious, absorbing, and, at times, mouthwatering.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Eagar has written a complex and layered novel, with a vivid setting of medieval France and powerful themes of home and community.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Brimming with intriguing medieval-era details, Eagar’s (The Bigfoot Files) tale of streets and skies boasts vividly wrought characters (protagonists are cued as white) and a satisfying, carefully paced narrative following one child’s gradual transition from street urchin to beloved community member.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Spectacular. . . [Eagar] is a master of nuanced characterizations and setting descriptions. Duck's story alternates with chapters that feature a gargoyle's grumpy and poignant commentary, adding a fantastical element and cathedral-high perspective to the street-level action. Duck's heartrending quandary about what makes a home is as relevant today as ever.
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

The plot, borne along by Eagar’s flawless, compelling voice, swells like a loaf of bread proofing: slowly, but developing delicious flavor as it grows. . . . the story comes to a hopeful conclusion that is balanced by wry, but not bitter, complexity.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Each member of the Crowns is given their own destiny. . . They become what they want to become, not what is necessarily a socially acceptable, predictable choice. This sort of closure provides an emotionally realistic ending to the book.
—School Library Connection

The gifted Lindsay Eagar, author of 'Hour of the Bees' and 'Race to the Bottom of the Sea,' offers a lovely tale of found family, of redemption and forgiveness in this beautifully written novel set in the fictional medieval-era French town of Odierne. . . . Eagar's beautiful narrative paints a vivid picture of life in a medieval-era French town and the Crowns' hard lives on the run.
—The Buffalo News

A riveting novel full of tension and action; sensory-rich scenes and settings; and vividly portrayed, believable characters. . . There are revelations at the end (one involving the gargoyle narrator), but they’re as nuanced as the rest of the novel. Eagar’s deep themes never feel tacked on but instead are thoroughly kneaded into her characters and story.
—The Horn Book

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick (May 11, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1536204684
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1536204681
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 840L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.88 x 1.38 x 8.56 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Lindsay Eagar

Lindsay Eagar

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

PATRICIA YACKANICH
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely incredible
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
I LOVED this book! As an adult, I read a ton on middle grade and YA fiction and this book jumped to the top of my favorite list.
It was long, which made me love it more, and was filled with amazing descriptions that put you THERE!
Excellent
Helpful
 Report
Breeann Allison
5.0 out of 5 stars As Delicious as Freshly Baked Bread
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book was such a heartwarming read, full of charm, whimsy, and (minimalist) magic. Loved the details of the tasty, French village setting and the morally complex dynamics among the ragtag kids, as well as the developing relationship between the young protagonist and the bighearted baker she's been tasked to betray. I especially resonated with the themes of identity, empathy, and the value of found family (or, in this case, multiple found families). Ultimately, this was a delightful escape read, full of satisfying twists, intricate world-building, and characters I genuinely enjoyed spending time with, especially the curmudgeonly gargoyle going through an existential crisis. Oh and plenty of mouthwatering descriptions of freshly baked bread.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Delta High School Library
4.0 out of 5 stars A clean read for upper elementary and middle school readers!
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2022
I love the cover because two images can be seen when you change your perspective, black outline of a girl tossing coins and black print of a gargoyle on a cathedral wall.
The opening is told in the gargoyle’s point of view and the statue sees a young woman carrying her baby while running from men. As they almost capture her, she jumps into the river while holding onto her baby. Eight years later, Duck is a young girl within a group of traveling thieves. She’s trying to prove that she’s helpful and ends up as a baker’s apprentice to infiltrate the bakery and steal from inside. She continues to give bread to her thief group, the Crowns, but doubts more and more that she’s doing the right thing because she’s feeling loved by the baker. As the stakes rise, Duck will have to make some tough choices and decide who her family is and who she’s loyal to. 4 stars for this sweet tale of finding your true self.

Ethnicity is predominantly white; it is a historical fiction fantasy.
Language content: no swears
Violence content: PG - men chasing woman and baby and she’s running for their safety.
Mature content: PG - thievery, grooming for a gang
Likes/dislikes: I like the baker. She’s tremendously generous and kind. I appreciate the author’s writing of Duck’s conflicts between right and wrong and in finding her sense of belonging. This is a clean read with a good message. Alternating timelines with a unique gargoyle and a young girl named Duck.

*I received a copy of this book for voluntary review consideration and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Hannah
5.0 out of 5 stars very enjoyable children’s book
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this! It was perfect and simple for a children’s book. Great message about change and repentance. 5 stars!
Helpful
 Report
Meredith L. Burton
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wondrous Tale of Grace, Redemption and Newfound Family
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2022
The Patron Thief of Bread is my favorite read of 2022 so far. Lindsay Eagar paints a wondrous portrait of a medieval world, complete with rich sensory details of sights, sounds, smells and tastes. If you love books about baking, finding your place in the world and journeys of self-discovery, The Patron Thief of Bread will not disappoint you. Certain books are meant to be classics, and Eagar's tale is one such book.

All her life, Duck has lived with the Crowns, a band of street urchins who rescued her from a river when she was an infant. Duck is quiet and keeps her head down so as to avoid angering Gnat, the Crowns' verbally abusive but resourceful leader. When Gnat appoints Duck to procure money and food from a village's bakery, she soon finds herself enlisted as the kindly baker's apprentice. As time goes by, Duck begins to question where she truly belongs. Gnat is hatching an evil plan. Can Duck hurt the woman she's grown to love? Can she hurt the family who are all she has ever known?
Entwined with Duck's story is that of an embittered gargoyle perched on the roof of an unfinished cathedral. He was designed to protect and serve, but one hundred years of neglect and inactivity have caused him to lose faith in God, humanity and himself. Duck's story and the gargoyle's tale collide in a suspenseful climax.

Eagar's enthralling novel contains complex characterization and rich imagery. Even the antagonist is empathetic and hard to dislike.
I particularly loved baker Griselde's kindness and her vulnerability. I loved Duck's journey to find her voice. my other favorite character is Sister Earnestine from the Abbey of the Sisters of Mercy.
The Patron Thief of Bread is a riveting feast of a book. Thoroughly recommended. I purchased the audio edition, and the narrator, Moira Quirk, does a superb job at bringing the characters to life.
happy reading, and God bless you all.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Dad of Divas
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book!
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2022
I found this book to be very interesting. As you read through this you get the viewpoints from numerous characters which is not something you usually see in a book. The characters you hear from are a duck and a gargoyle at the top of a cathedral. Both of these characters are fun and you will find that you connect with them throughout the book in very different ways. The characters are definitely different, but complement each other. As I was reading through the book, I found myself wanting to read page after page as I got lost in the pages of the book itself. The book was fun, engaging and entertaining and through the book you are drawn into the world through vivid imagery and prose that envelopes you throughout. This is a great book I recommend to all!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Legend27
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute masterpiece!
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2022
I loved this book.
Helpful
 Report