and the Grenadine Kid
written by Colin Meloy
illustrated by Carson Ellis
Flap Copy Description:
It is an ordinary Tuesday morning in April when bored, lonely Charlie Fisher witnesses something incredible. Right before his eyes, in a busy square in Marseilles, a group of pickpockets pulls off an amazing robbery. As the young bandits appear to melt into the crowd, Charlie realizes with a start that he himself was one of their marks.
Yet Charlie is less alarmed than intrigued. This is the most thrilling thing that’s happened to him since he came to France with his father, an American diplomat. So instead of reporting the thieves, Charlie defends one of their cannons, Amir, to the police, under one condition: he teach Charlie the tricks of the trade.
What starts off as a lesson on pinches, kicks, and chumps soon turns into an invitation for Charlie to join the secret world of the whiz mob, an international band of child thieves who trained at the mysterious School of Seven Bells. The whiz mob are independent and incredibly skilled and make their own way in the world—they are everything Charlie yearns to be. But what at first seemed like a (relatively) harmless new pastime draws him into a dangerous adventure with global stakes greater than he could have ever imagined.
My Thoughts:
It was a thrill to meet the author and illustrator of The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid - Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis are awesome! Since I'm a huge fan of their series The Wildwood Chronicles, it came as no surprise that their recent middle grade release is just as fantastic.
The setting for this story is the south of France, Marseilles to be specific; since a great setting is something I always enjoy, I was not disappointed. In addition to that, this well-written and entertaining tale is wonderfully illustrated. I highly recommend The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid to readers aged eight and up!
Check out the cool interview with this talented couple!
