Description

Book Synopsis

It's midsummer's day and thirteen-year-old Elle and her Leapling classmates are visiting the Museum of the Past, the Present and the Future. But on the day of the school trip, disaster strikes, and the most unique and valuable piece in the museum, the Infinity-Glass, is stolen! And worse still, Elle's friend and fellow Infinite, MC², is arrested for the crime!

To prove his innocence Elle must leap back centuries in time, to a London very different from today. Along the way she will meet new friends, face dangers unlike any she has ever known, and face an old enemy who is determined to destroy her. Can Elle find the missing Infinity-Glass and return it to its rightful home before it's too late?



Trade Review
An ingenious, exhilarating adventure -- SOPHIE ANDERSON, author of THE HOUSE WITH CHICKEN LEGS
An adventure so thrilling it makes time fly! -- BEN MILLER, author of THE BOY WHO MADE THE WORLD DISAPPEAR
A time-travel mystery that manages to incorporate criminal masterminds, neurodivergence, racial inequalities, intertemporal friendships and Samuel Johnson - all narrated in Elle's exuberant and energetic voice. Even better than The Infinite! Loved it! -- FLEUR HITCHCOCK, author of THE BOY WHO FLEW
In The Time-Thief, Agbabi has written a second instalment to the Leap Cycle series that even exceeds the first. Elle is a delightful character to follow: not just a well-rounded heroine with a unique set of beautiful insights, but also an important example of meaningful representation in a literary arena where Black autistic girls are rarely represented. In reading The Time-Thief you also get a clear sense of how much Agbabi loves creative wordplay, as she tells a gripping time-travel story that keeps you guessing, while clearly having fun with the English language along the way! A creative, imaginative novel with a fascinating lead character -- CHRIS BONNELLO, author of UNDERDOGS
Thrilling . . . Starring a brilliant young heroine, this original and inventive adventure story will keep you gripped from beginning to end * * The Week Junior * *
The main characters in Patience Agbabi's The Time-Thief [are] as literate as they are skilled on the athletics field. They are also neurodivergent, not least narrator Elle, whose autism is depicted accurately and sympathetically . . . just as clever and enjoyable as its forerunner * * Financial Times * *
A must-read . . . Filled with thrilling twists and turns, and with a relatable main character, this a spellbinding mystery that will keep readers gripped to the final page * * Scotsman * *
What a delight to be back in the company of Elle and her Infinite friends. The Time-Thief is chock-full of wicked wordplay and time-travelling conundrums, but also a breathlessly paced thriller. Time disappears while reading this book, so Agbabi actually proves that time travel is real -- STEVE TASANE, author of CHILD I
The Time-Thief pulses to its own thrillingly original beat. An exhilarating, intelligent and twisty time-travelling mystery -- SINÉAD O’HART, author of THE EYE OF THE NORTH
The Time-Thief is a gripping and thought-provoking zigzag across time and across London for children from all ages! -- S.I. MARTIN, author of INCOMPARABLE WORLD

The Time-Thief

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    £7.59

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    RRP £7.99 – you save £0.40 (5%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Tue 16 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Patience Agbabi

    7 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The Time-Thief by Patience Agbabi

      Publisher: Canongate Books
      Publication Date: 06/05/2021
      ISBN13: 9781786899903, 978-1786899903
      ISBN10: 1786899906

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      It's midsummer's day and thirteen-year-old Elle and her Leapling classmates are visiting the Museum of the Past, the Present and the Future. But on the day of the school trip, disaster strikes, and the most unique and valuable piece in the museum, the Infinity-Glass, is stolen! And worse still, Elle's friend and fellow Infinite, MC², is arrested for the crime!

      To prove his innocence Elle must leap back centuries in time, to a London very different from today. Along the way she will meet new friends, face dangers unlike any she has ever known, and face an old enemy who is determined to destroy her. Can Elle find the missing Infinity-Glass and return it to its rightful home before it's too late?



      Trade Review
      An ingenious, exhilarating adventure -- SOPHIE ANDERSON, author of THE HOUSE WITH CHICKEN LEGS
      An adventure so thrilling it makes time fly! -- BEN MILLER, author of THE BOY WHO MADE THE WORLD DISAPPEAR
      A time-travel mystery that manages to incorporate criminal masterminds, neurodivergence, racial inequalities, intertemporal friendships and Samuel Johnson - all narrated in Elle's exuberant and energetic voice. Even better than The Infinite! Loved it! -- FLEUR HITCHCOCK, author of THE BOY WHO FLEW
      In The Time-Thief, Agbabi has written a second instalment to the Leap Cycle series that even exceeds the first. Elle is a delightful character to follow: not just a well-rounded heroine with a unique set of beautiful insights, but also an important example of meaningful representation in a literary arena where Black autistic girls are rarely represented. In reading The Time-Thief you also get a clear sense of how much Agbabi loves creative wordplay, as she tells a gripping time-travel story that keeps you guessing, while clearly having fun with the English language along the way! A creative, imaginative novel with a fascinating lead character -- CHRIS BONNELLO, author of UNDERDOGS
      Thrilling . . . Starring a brilliant young heroine, this original and inventive adventure story will keep you gripped from beginning to end * * The Week Junior * *
      The main characters in Patience Agbabi's The Time-Thief [are] as literate as they are skilled on the athletics field. They are also neurodivergent, not least narrator Elle, whose autism is depicted accurately and sympathetically . . . just as clever and enjoyable as its forerunner * * Financial Times * *
      A must-read . . . Filled with thrilling twists and turns, and with a relatable main character, this a spellbinding mystery that will keep readers gripped to the final page * * Scotsman * *
      What a delight to be back in the company of Elle and her Infinite friends. The Time-Thief is chock-full of wicked wordplay and time-travelling conundrums, but also a breathlessly paced thriller. Time disappears while reading this book, so Agbabi actually proves that time travel is real -- STEVE TASANE, author of CHILD I
      The Time-Thief pulses to its own thrillingly original beat. An exhilarating, intelligent and twisty time-travelling mystery -- SINÉAD O’HART, author of THE EYE OF THE NORTH
      The Time-Thief is a gripping and thought-provoking zigzag across time and across London for children from all ages! -- S.I. MARTIN, author of INCOMPARABLE WORLD

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