The Greatest Heist in Joviala - by Adi Alsaid

About the Book

Candelabra's sister is trapped in a painting, and nothing in the kingdom Nefaria has helped--but the most powerful magic object in the world is in disaster-prone Joviala, and that is where Candelabra and the other exchange students are headed.

Book Synopsis

A girl fights to free her sister from a curse while a beautiful mountain is at risk of being turned into a theme park in this "droll...delightful" (Kirkus Reviews) yet heartfelt middle grade adventure set in the world of The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria.

Having grown up in Nefaria, a land where evil schemes abound, Candelabra is thrilled to take a school trip to Joviala, a land that's prone to natural disasters but has virtually no evil in it. All her life, she's dreamt of a place where everyone is caring and happy and without malicious intent, and now it's coming true for her.

But Jovialan Schmebecca isn't so sure her country's reputation is earned. A company has just been approved to move her beloved mountain to install a theme park, and that sounds pretty evil to her. She enlists the help of veteran evil-scheme-thwarters Candelabra and Bobert, and together, they work to uncover the possible evil scheme--but when a twist pits their goals against each other, the fight against evil becomes a lot more complicated.

Review Quotes

"Delightful." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Born and raised in Mexico City, Adi Alsaid is the author of several young adult novels including Let's Get Lost, We Didn't Ask for This, and North of Happy, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book nominee. He also wrote the middle grade books The Bravest Warrior in Nefaria and The Greatest Heist in Joviala and edited Come on In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and two cats, where he occasionally spills hot sauce on things (and cats).