SOLVED. YA/ Middle School Historical Fiction. A boy is hired to go work undercover working for William Shakespeare and steal one of his plays. Read 2018-2019. Spoilers ahead.

[duplankk]

I read this when I was in elementary school and remember really enjoying it. It takes place around the late 1500s to early 1600s, and the main character is a poor teen boy who I think was an orphan.
Needing money, he accepts and offer from a wealthier man to go undercover working backstage at one of William Shakespeare's shows, and steal one of the plays that Shakespeare was writing to that the wealthy man could plagiarize it and pretend it was his own.
Predictably the kid ends up realizing why what he's doing is wrong, and starts really enjoying working in the theatre. He refuses to steal the play and if I remember correctly he starts full-time working for Shakespeare so he isn't lacking money anymore.
I know the details are kind of vague since I read it so long ego, but hopefully it's enough since this book was a pretty big part of my childhood and I'd really like to find it again!

[MJ]

Could it be Gary Blackwoods The Shakespeare Stealer? See following summary from Wikipedia:
In the late Elizabethan era, a fourteen-year-old orphan known only by his nickname, Widge, has learned shorthand, a method of rapid writing by means of abbreviations and symbols, from his previous master, a preacher who wants Widge to steal other preachers' sermons. Bass, his new master, wants to use Widge's skill to transcribe William Shakespeare's Hamlet before Shakespeare prints it. Widge sets off to London with Falconer, a ruthless man whom Bass assigns to ensure Widge succeeds. Hamlet's performance so enraptures Widge that he forgets part of his assignment, and when he returns for a second try, his notebook is stolen. Widge eventually settles into the acting troupe by posing as a hopeful player, and The Lord Chamberlain's Men accepts him. For the first time, Widge feels part of a real family. But it's hard for him knowing his duty is to not be a part of this family but to steal from them. Falconer continues to press Widge to steal the play, resulting in a constant cat and mouse chase between them. After Falconer, who turned out to be Bass in disguise, dies in a duel with The Lord Chamberlain's Men shareholder Robert Armin, Widge remains at The Globe to work toward his dream of being a player.

[duplankk]

Thank you, MJ! Just looked up The Shakespeare Stealer and I recognize the book cover so I think that's it. Thank you so much, I've been looking for this book for months.

[Rainbowheart]

The Shakespeare Stealer for the link.