The Great Greene Heist

April 14, 2014
Jackson Greene, 13, has exhibited “four months of model behavior,” an amazing feat considering that he naturally tends toward scheming, pranking, and dreaming (it runs in the family). After a kissing incident that’s been dubbed “Mid-Day PDA,” Jackson’s friend Gabriela de la Cruz isn’t speaking to him. Now Gaby’s friends have nominated her for school president, and conniving classmate Keith Sinclair is determined to win the election by any means necessary. Without a second thought, Jackson rounds up computer whiz Hashemi, Gaby’s newspaper editor brother Charlie, and several others in an attempt to revive his friendship (and maybe more?) with Gaby and save school clubs that could be cut if Keith is elected. Johnson (Saving Maddie) delivers an exciting Ocean’s Eleven–style caper for the middle-school crowd, with third-person narration jumping between the various plotters, who concoct an impressive seven schemes in less than three weeks. While in the big picture, the stakes are low, it’s easy to get swept up in the exploits of Johnson’s entertaining and diverse crew. Ages 10–14. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger.

Starred review from March 15, 2014
Trying to go straight, troublemaker Jackson Greene succumbs to the lure of the con when it appears Maplewood Middle School's student-council election is being rigged against his friend Gaby de la Cruz. Although Gaby's been angry at Jackson for more than four months, the two could be more than just friends. And her twin brother, Charlie, Jackson's best friend, is worried about her electoral chances. So Jackson breaks rule No. 3 of the Greene Code of Conduct: "Never con for love. Or even like." During the week before the election, a delightful and diverse cast of middle school students with a wide range of backgrounds and interests concocts a series of elaborate schemes to make sure the Scantron-counted ballots will produce honest results. While all this is going on, Gaby is busily campaigning and rethinking her love life. References to previous escapades are so common readers may think this is a sequel, and the cast of characters is dizzying. But the results are worth it. Allusions to Star Trek abound. There is a helpful appended explanation of the cons and their shorthand references as well as the Greene Code. The elaborate bait and switch of this fast-paced, funny caper novel will surprise its readers as much as the victims. They'll want to reread immediately so they can admire the setup. (Fiction. 10-15)

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March 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-After his last heist went bad and he lost Gaby, the girl he liked, Jackson Greene swore off breaking the rules. But when his old nemesis, Keith Sinclair, plans to steal the school election from Gaby and cut the budget for every afterschool activity except the Gamer Club, Jackson decides to use his con-man skills yet again. Jackson does a little digging and discovers that Keith plans on rigging the election by bribing the principal with a large donation from his father. Can Jackson save the day by stealing the election back for his friend or will his nemesis beat him at his own game? The characters are likable, if a bit thin. Although the premise is implausible, the plot is fast paced, well developed, and has a lot of unique twists and turns that will draw readers in from start to finish. Hand this unique book to kids who like mystery, adventure, and Robin Hood-esque stories.-Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
Grades 5-8 Jackson Greene is a smooth operator on thin ice. Thanks to a series of elaborate, infamous pranks, he is banned from using a cell phone at Maplewood Middle School and is this close to getting expelled. But when his friend Gaby is going to lose the student council elections because of some dirty dealings between a power-hungry candidate and the greedy principal, Jackson quietly comes out of retirement. With the help of a tech expert, a honeypot, a driver, and a right-hand man, Jackson confidently orchestrates an intricate plot to reveal the principal's scheme and win the election for Gaby. This fast-paced caper reads like Ocean's 11 for the middle-school set, and that's no coincidence: Johnson (Saving Maddie, 2010) openly credits the film as inspiration, and he has pretty much pulled it off, right down to the dizzying plot twists, incredulous access to the latest tech, and unflappable swagger. Though the multicultural cast of well-rounded middle-schoolers make so many references to earlier high jinks that this occasionally seems like a sequel, the nonstop intrigue keeps the pages turning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
Teen con-man Jackson Greene (think middle-school Danny Ocean from Ocean's Eleven) assembles a crack team of accomplices to help his friend Gaby de la Cruz run for student council president against spoiled, cocky Keith Sinclair. The lively (and racially diverse) cast of characters and the intricate plot will make this a story to read again for the sheer fun of it all.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2014
Who knew a student council election could get so complicated? After pulling off a few legendary middle-school pranks, Jackson Greene has sworn off his scheming ways. But he gets pulled back in, in order to help Gaby de la Cruz -- Jackson's "ex-friend, who happens to be a girl who wasn't your girlfriend but who could have been your girlfriend if you hadn't got caught kissing" another girl -- who is running for student council president against spoiled, cocky Keith Sinclair. The third-person point of view allows readers to witness the various shenanigans, including Keith's shady deal with Principal Kelsey. But not so fast. Gang Greene is on the scene. Like Danny Ocean in Ocean's Eleven, Jackson assembles a crack team of accomplices to take down Keith and, in the process, become legends at Maplewood Middle School. Jackson is a brilliant con man, and it's refreshing to read a story about middle-school life that's smart, complicated, and funny, with a cleverly constructed plot and a sweet relationship between a boy and a girl. (Jackson likes Gaby because she's pretty, she's a great basketball player...and she can pick a lock.) The lively (and racially diverse) cast of characters and the intricate plot will make this a story to read again for the sheer fun of it all. dean schneider

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)