Thursday, November 10, 2016

Johnson, Varian. To Catch a Cheat.

Johnson, Varian.  To Catch a Cheat.  Scholastic Press 2016  241p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-545-72239-1  ms  Realistic fiction  VG-BN   

Jackson Greene is at it again.  After swearing off any more con games, he has disbanded his crew of fellow middle-school con artists and gotten together with Gaby de la Cruz. Unfortunately for Jackson, he and his friends are being blackmailed. They must steal the brutal end-of-term American history final or a doctored security video showing them flooding the school bathrooms will be released to the principal. It will take a fair bit of cunning and ingenuity to defeat the real perpetrators, but Jackson and his crew are up for it. This engaging and suspenseful mystery is filled with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot. The lively prose, complete with creative plot twists, wit, and drama, provides a wonderful continuation of the first book but can also stand alone for a fun read.  

Summary: Jackson Greene is at it again. After swearing off any more con games, he has disbanded his crew of fellow middle-school con artists, but he is being blackmailed into stealing the brutal end-of-term American history final or a doctored security video showing them flooding the school bathrooms will be released to the principal.


Schools-Fiction, Cheating-Fiction               --Susan Ogintz

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