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The Box and the Dragonfly is the first book in Ted Sanders’s middle-grade series The Keepers.

It follows the story of 12 year old Horace Andrews after he wanders into a mysterious

warehouse and comes into possession of the magical Box of Promises that allows him to look

into the future. He befriends a girl named Chloe who can walk through walls, and the two of

them suddenly find themselves in the middle of a conflict much bigger than either of them

could’ve possibly imagined.

There’s a lot here that I really loved. The cast, for example, I really enjoyed reading about.

Horace is curious and logical, which I think serves him well as a protagonist. And his friend

Chloe is probably my favorite character in the series. She’s fierce, stubborn, and always snarky.

Her quips and offhand comments are pretty funny, and though she can be a bit prickly at times,

she has a vulnerable side too that becomes more noticeable with time. The two of them make a

pretty great team, Horace making the plans and Chloe taking the risks. The other characters are

pretty nice too, though they don’t get too much screen time. Neptune is especially fun to have

around. She’s a bit older than Horace and Chloe, and her instrument lets her manipulate gravity,

allowing her to float.

The magical items or instruments that they use I also found to be very interesting. Horace tries

to figure out the science of it all, and while that was nice as well, what really caught my attention

was the connection between instruments and their Keepers. They take up a bond with a person

and will only work for them. I really loved reading how that connection was described, like these

items were attached to their very being.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that the first half feels kind of slow. After finding the

box and taking it home, Horace has to get to know it and figure out how it works, but he’s not

supposed to have any help. So, naturally, it takes him a little while. And though I get that it’s

necessary to have this in the beginning, I couldn’t help but wish it moved a little faster,

especially during my second read-through. It never felt like I was having to push through

chapters or anything, but it was a bit tiring. The second-half doesn’t have this problem, however.

As tension becomes more apparent, things get much more interesting, and the final part is

nothing short of amazing.

Overall, I would rate The Box and the Dragonfly a 8/10. I definitely really enjoyed it, but I can’t

say that it’s perfect. The slow start is kind of annoying, and though it doesn’t bother me, I know

that the page count could’ve maybe been a bit shorter. But the likeable characters and

wonderfully interesting magical instruments kept my attention, and the ending was absolutely

amazing. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes middle-grade fantasy.