CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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The Art Thieves
CCBC Review:
In 2052, Stevie (Cherokee), a recent high school graduate and aspiring photographer in Texas working at a modern art museum, is looking forward to starting college at UT Austin. Stevie adores her much younger brother Levi (Cherokee/Black), and her two best friends, Loren and Jess. And she appreciates her mom and stepdad, even if they are overprotective. Adam is a new artist intern at the museum especially interested in the museum’s piece Ladder for Booker T. Washington by Martin Puryear. With romantic tension between them building, Stevie is more than a little angry when he bails on attending a special museum event. When Adam finally explains, she doesn’t want to believe his story: He claims he’s come from 200 years in the future to steal The Ladder, part of a humanitarian mission to save meaningful art about human history and experience from the global disaster that’s about to strike—a three-month pandemic, continued climate crisis, and the unraveling of society. Then Levi is diagnosed with a rare cancer—one that will likely kill him if Adam’s story is true. But if Adam’s story is true, can the future save her little brother? This deliciously head-spinning time travel story offers hope in Adam’s assurance that the unraveling of society as Stevie knows it provides the foundation for building a more just and compassionate world. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 13 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
African Americans
Art and Artists
Cherokee People
Climate Change
Families
First/Native Nations
Love and Romance
Mothers
Science Fiction
Stepfathers
Survival
Suspense
Time Travel
Diversity subjects:
Indigenous
Latine
On CCBC Booklists:
Eco-Reading: Selected Books for Children and Teens about Our Earth and the Environment
Speculative and Science Fiction for Children and Teens
Sophisticated and Substantial Books for Teens
Publisher:
Levine Querido
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781646143788
CCBC Location: Fiction, Rogers
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.