{"product_id":"the-whiz-mob-and-the-grenadine-kid-isbn-9780062342454","title":"The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the creators of the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling Wildwood Chronicles comes an original, humorous, and fast-paced middle grade novel about a band of child pickpockets—imagine\u003cem\u003e The Invention of Hugo Cabret\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eOliver Twist\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is an ordinary Tuesday morning in April when bored, lonely Charlie Fisher witnesses something incredible. Right before his eyes, in a busy square in Marseille, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat 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.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt is an ordinary Tuesday \u003c\/em\u003emorning in April when bored, lonely Charlie Fisher witnesses something incredible. Right before his eyes, in a busy square in Marseille, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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 seems like a (relatively) harmless new pastime draws him into a dangerous adventure with global stakes greater than he could have ever imagined.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eColin Meloy and Carson Ellis, creators of the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling Wildwood Chronicles, have once again brought their one-of-a-kind, stunning vision to this heist adventure.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003ePRAISE FOR THE WILDWOOD CHRONICLES: “A richly satisfying weave of reality and fantasy.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Meloy’s debut is the kind of delicate, elaborate fantasy that is so well versed in classic Narnian tropes that it is destined to be enthusiastically embraced.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Meloy has an immediately recognizable verbal style and creates a fully realized fantasy world. Ellis’s illustrations perfectly capture the original world and contribute to the feel of an instant timeless classic.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Meloy’s storytelling skills, honed on his epic ballads for The Decemberists, translate well to prose. Ellis’s precise, detailed style evokes a folksy charm that is just right for the overgrown natural world of Wildwood and its inhabitants.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This book is like the wild, strange forest it describes. It is full of suspense and danger and frightening things the world has never seen, and once I stepped inside I never wanted to leave.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLemony Snicket\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wildwood is an irresistible, atmospheric adventure—richly imagined and richly rewarding.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTrenton Lee Stewart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Meloy and Ellis (the Wildwood Chronicles) blend shades of Dickens, Rowling, and Robin Hood. Themes of friendship and making amends are skillfully woven throughout. And Meloy’s attention to detail vividly evoke the period setting.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Dark and whimsical, with a true and uncanny sense of otherworldliness, Wildwood is the heir to a great tradition of stories of wild childhood adventure. It snatched me up and carried me off into a world I didn’t want to leave.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMichael Chabon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Wildwood is a beautiful object and a beautiful read. One part fairy tale, one part coming of age story, one part unrepentantly gorgeous work of art, this book is overflowing with gifts.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJonathan Safran Foer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ellis’ charming illustrations adeptly capture the playful tone and decidedly period setting. A gleefully metafictional caper and middle-grade picaresque bound to appeal to discerning young readers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e★ “There’s a lot to be said for a good, old-fashioned caper. Meloy accomplishes this rare feat with panache, turning out an infectious—and at times cinematic—adventure suffused with personal growth, secrecy, sleight of hand, and higher stakes than the story’s protagonist ever imagined.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “Meloy mirrors his characters’ capers, distracting you while he moves in for the real con. It’s a bona fide twist that may make you feel robbed yourself. In this case, that’s a good thing.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Equal doses of humor and action.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Storytide","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888248221925,"sku":"NP9780062342454","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062342454.jpg?v=1730228621","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-whiz-mob-and-the-grenadine-kid-isbn-9780062342454","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}