The Printer's Devil

by Paul Bajoria

Book Overview

The notorious inhabitants of London's criminal underworld are all in a day's work for Mog, the printer's apprentice, who prints their wanted posters. A real-life meeting with a convict entangles Mog... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316010901
• ISBN13: 9780316010900
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

Brilliant!!!!

This is a brilliant book!!!! It was a school book at first but after the first chapter I decided that it was one of the best books I've ever read!!!! It was full of cool twist and turns. It has all sorts of different plots. This book is right up there with Joshua Mowll and Phillip Pulmann. I love this book so much!!! I like this book because of the well-developed characters. Mog, Nick, and all of the good guys were so funny. And yet they were not your average heros. The bad guys on the other hand were so evil you just wanted to reach inside the book and strangle them. I liked it how the author gave us just enough background on the characters but not enough to tell all about their past. This book had so many different things going on at once that it made your head spin, but in a good way. And then when you finally think that the author can't have any more surprises, there pops up yet another surprise.

A Fun Read, Even For Adults!

I enjoyed Paul Bajoria's "The Printer's Devil." It may have been intended as a book for a juvenile audience, but this 54-year-old thought it was a blast. I bought this book because I had been a "printer's devil" as a kid (which led to my career as a print production manager), and I was especially intrigued by the unusual use of display typography and the excellent pen-and-ink illustrations. This book gives a vivid sense of Dickens-era London. The plot is compelling and moves at a fast clip. If you enjoy revisiting the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift books that you read as a kid, give this a try. I look forward to more offerings in what evidently will be a series. Most enjoyable!

Wonderful and Charming

This is my favorite book of all time. Anyone who doesn't like this book has the mental capacity of a three year old, judging by most of the bad review's spelling and grammar. However, it may not be appropriate for children under the age of nine...I'm twelve, as it does have some references to drugs, and the twists are a bit advanced.

Immersive History for Young Uns

I purchased this book for a 12 year old niece, and read it myself first. It was absorbing, full of historical information, and devoid of lecturing or recitations of details that might bore a tween or a teen. Swear on my honor, you can smell the smells, see the streets, feel the dirt! The immediacy of London of the 19th century could make this book open a door for a young person to learn about history and travel as something other than dates and dusty monuments. Also, the plot has hooks for both female and male readers, and should appeal to ages 10-13 (in my aunt-ly experience!) :-)

This is a keeper!

Mog Winter is an orphan whose job is as an apprentice in a printing shop. The locals fondly refer to Mog as "the printer's devil." After staying up late one night printing 100 wanted posters of the ugly "mug" of a man called Cockburn, Mog is instructed by his employer to deliver a bill to Mr. Flethick. That meeting with Flethick and his cronies drops kicks Mog into a grand and dangerous adventure where he is locked in a trunk, finds an item that appears to be linked with his past, comes upon thieves, a mysterious ship and oh so many other delicious things. This entertaining adventure takes place in Victorian London and the style is reminiscent of a Dickens' novel. The sights, the smells, the dirt and the danger of the times and London itself come alive as Mog doggedly follows the many twists and turn of his journey to answers. There are some hurdles to overcome in The Printer's Devil. The number of characters and odd names require a tally sheet--and I might have done something a bit different with the ending. But Mog is delightful, his adventures are exciting and I enjoyed reading The Printer's Devil for the sheer fun of it. It took me back to my childhood and the memories of the many just plain fun reads. And that's a wonderful place to be. Paul Bajoria's talent lies in his ability to set the stage and tone of the book as much as it does in telling an exciting story. There are many of my grandchildren who will spend hours steeped in the adventures of Mog. The sequel, The God of Mischief, will be released in September 2006. I can't wait. Armchair Interviews says: As for The Printer's Devil? It's a keeper.