What do you get when you add up
1 middle-school bully
2 bank robbers
57 dogs in peril
4,000 missing dollars
and
5 daring troublemakers
led by the one and only
Riley Mack?
1 crazy caper!
In this merry, mischievous romp, master storyteller Chris Grabenstein introduces Riley Mack--a twelve-year-old hometown hero you'll never forget.
September 1, 2012
Gr 5-7-Part mystery, part comedy, part crime caper, this first book in a new series offers some escapist fun. Like his father, an active-duty soldier stationed in Afghanistan, seventh-grader Riley Mack defends "those who cannot defend themselves." With a group of other "known troublemakers," he orchestrates, and carries out, elaborate capers to thwart bullies and seek justice. When a lost dog leads the crew to a cruel puppy mill run by the town's crooked police chief, Riley and his pals must pull off their most difficult and dangerous rescue mission yet. The mood is madcap, with cartoon characters taking part in far-fetched situations. Over-the-top, cheeky dialogue comes fast and furious, to the likely delight of many readers. This sort of goofiness will play well to a read-aloud audience. A briskly plotted tale with a light touch, Riley Mack will please dog lovers and those with a hankering for action mixed with laughs.-Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2013
Twelve-year-old Riley and his friends join up to outwit the school bully, solve the mystery of a stolen dog, and help the FBI catch bank robbers. The kids are intelligent, witty, and organized, while the adult characters are comically dim but rather flat. There is enough action--and humor--in the multi-mystery plot to keep middle-graders engaged.
(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)