The Boy Who Robbed the Rich — L.R. Patton

Strength comes in numbers of merry men. Philip, one of the lost children of Fairendale, wakes in the woods outside the village of Lincastle, surrounded by the forest's most frightening creatures. Thus begins his daily battle to outsmart the creatures that would like nothing more than to eat him, requiring Philip to construct a makeshift bow out of limbs and leather and become, in a few days' time, a master archer. One day, while Philip is out hunting, he meets one of the legendary merry men. After discovering he can miraculously shoot an arrow and hit a bulls-eye, the ragged men invite Philip to join them in their quest to redistribute the wealth of the land by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. But in spite of his valiant efforts and his extraordinary bravery, Philip will need more than just the merry men to rescue him from what is coming. The Boy Who Robbed the Rich is the eighth book in the Fairendale series, an epic fantasy middle grade series that explores both familiar and unfamiliar fairy tales, legends, myths, and folk tales. The world of Fairendale revolves around villains and heroes -- all on a quest for what they believe is right. But one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero. Throughout the series, the story of King Willis and his determination to keep the throne of Fairendale is woven into the story of his son, Prince Virgil, heir to the throne and friend to the village children, and the story of fairy tale children fleeing for their lives -- children who become what we know as fairy tale villains, for one good reason or another. But, remember, one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero.