The Bookseller’s Apprentice

Twelve-year-old Billy Pyke has a talent for sorting things out, whether it's his chaotic family home or the busy bookstall at Paddy's Market. In 1871, the market is the loud, smelly, marvellous heart of Melbourne, and Billy is delighted to work at the bookstall there for the eccentric Mr Cole. When his new friend, Kezia, warns him of a sinister magician called the Obscurosmith, Billy can't believe her stories of magical deals gone horribly wrong—until he sees them happening. And the night that the Obscurosmith crosses a terrifying and dangerous line, Billy realises that if he wants the Obscurosmith stopped, he'll have to do it himself. 2023, Indie Book Awards Children's, Long-listed 2023, Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) Book of the Year for Younger Children, Short-listed 2023, ARA Historical Novel Prize, Winner