Quiet Down There has definitely been a little…well, quiet down here lately. Now that the hubbub that is May has passed, we promise to get back to business reviewing books.

Last week while we were at the beach, I picked up another book for Jack by Ungifted author, Gordon Korman.

Jack devoured Swindle in less than one day, so I’m guessing he liked it.

I had Jack write this entry by answering the italicized questions. Mom has added minimal commentary, in brackets. Enjoy!

Give us a quick summary of the book.

The problem trying to be solved is the money problem of Griffin’s family. [It’s always a money problem, isn’t it?] The solution was to steal back the rare Babe Ruth baseball card. Will Griffin be able to steal the card back and fix his family’s money problems forever? Read the book to find out!

Who was your favorite character? Why?

My favorite character was Ben because he always stuck right by his best friend’s side even when they were breaking the law. [Law breaking? Say what?]

How old are the characters? Are they all human?

I think they were all mostly ten or eleven; there were also two dogs who were main characters, and one old man who loved the outdoors. [I wish I had the book so I could look it up and see just how old this old man is.]

What was the funniest thing that happened?

The funniest thing that happened was when all the money was sent to a person way out in Chicago. [Way, way out in Chicago, I tell you. Way out there.]

Why did you like this book so much, and why would you recommend it to your friends?

I like this book because it was sneaky, sporty, and brainy. I’d recommend it to a lot of my friends because they like adventure books and sport books, and I think this book is a good mix between the two.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give this book a…

On a scale from one to ten I’d give this book a 9.5

He’s a man of few words, folks, but there you have it. Jack really loved this book. The next few books in the series arrived today, and the 10-year-old is already curled up on the sofa with one. The Swindle series is going to be a fast read (the books are all roughly 250 pages each), and a Jack-only read (I’m taking a pass on the series), but it’s summertime and any reading is good reading. Jack gives it four-paws up.

Swindle by Gordon Korman (2009)

Jack: 9.5

Laura: took a pass 

photo credit: readerkidz.com