“When a plan came from Griffin Bing, even the tiniest detail had to be perfect.”

From Gordon Korman’s Swindle.

When an old supposedly-haunted house is set to be demolished, Griffen decides to set up a secret sleepover on the last night of the house’s existence. While lots of kids promised to follow Griffen‘s plan and join the sleepover, only his best friend Ben joined Griffin for the overnight. Unable to sleep because of his disappointment, Griffen decides to explore the house, and when he finds a very old Babe Ruth baseball card hidden in the back of a desk drawer, he realizes this card may provide his family with some much-needed cash. Griffin and Ben take the card to a sport and toy collection, S. Wendell “Swindle” Palomino, who gives Griffin $120 for the card he claims is a reproduction. Griffen is happy for the money until he sees Swindle on the news that night announcing that he found a classic baseball card that could be worth one million dollars. Angered that Swindle would cheat them just because they’re kids, Griffin begins developing a plan to steal back the card before it is sold in an upcoming auction. However, breaking into Swindle’s high security home will take more than Griffin and his friend, so he recruits guard dog-calming Savannah, skilled climber Antonia, tech-savvy Melissa, budding actor Logan, and bully-turned-muscle Darren to join the heist. With time quickly running out and countless obstacles in their way, Griffin puts all his genius into planning the heist of a lifetime.

Korman creates a thrilling heist story that will instantly appeal to young readers. With the character-driven plot, the planning portion of the book pairs perfectly for the pulling-off-the-crime portion. A quick read that will keep even reluctant readers desperately turning the pages, Swindle is a must read for anyone seeking a unique adventure.