Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • ANZAC books
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • LGBTQIA+
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Younger Readers»The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid

    The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid

    0
    By Admin on January 31, 2018 Younger Readers

    Colin Meloy (text), Carson Ellis (illus.), The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid, Penguin Australia (Viking),  30 Oct 2017,  422pp.,  $24.99 (hbk),  ISBN 9780143787860

    (Spoiler Alert)  Charlie Fisher is the son of an American ambassador, living a lonely life of luxury and private tutoring in 1960s Marseilles. While sitting in the city, writing a story as he is wont to do, Charlie is befriended by Amir, a professional pickpocket and part of a Whiz Mob of racketeers. Charlie begs Amir to train him in the skills of their trade, and proves to be rather good at it despite not being a student of the School of Seven Bells. He joins in on their increasingly sophisticated exploits, working well with the Mob. Their final gig is at the Palais du Pharo, where the Mob intend to make their biggest bing of all. And they do, stripping Charlie’s father of an extremely important document, and then disappearing out of Charlie’s life.

    Charlie is devastated at the betrayal. He has gone from being the Grenadine Kid of the Whiz Mob, to a chump and done over like a dinner. Charlie’s strength, though, has always been his perseverance. He follows the path of the Whiz Mob to the School of Seven Bells, challenging the Headmaster to put him through the graduating test of the Seven Bells, with the prize being the return of the document. Charlie reaches five bells and doesn’t pass the test, but claims his prize through his newly acquired sleight-of-hand skills. Best of all, Amir reappears as his best friend, having left his Whiz Mob behind in Columbia.

    This is a rich tale of Robin Hood-like pickpocketing told in the language of the children, entangled with the history of France in the 1960s. A narrator appears occasionally, languidly informing the reader of obscure ‘facts’, before pushing them back into the rollicking tale. The pace is careful to begin with, before the story ramps up to its denouement. A handy glossary of terms appears at the back, and the text is studded with occasional single and double-paged black and white illustrations. Although the story will be too full of slang and description for some readers, it will be a rewarding read for more patient readers, those that like being immersed in a setting and era perhaps unknown to them, and being taken on a journey of intrigue.

    Reviewed by Pam Harvey

    Related Posts

    Specky Magee

    Dear Greta

    Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Join Forces

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Themes
    • Curriculum
    Action adventure Airplanes Alphabet Anxiety autism Bullying CBCA Awards Coming of age Dystopian emotions family fantasy friendship grief Historical humour magic Mystery Post apocalyptic Readers Cup reluctant readers school Sci-Fi series of books siblings Sport Starting school Teacher Notes
    ANZAC Australian animals Australian history Biography Culture & Diversity Disabilities First Nations Geography health Humanities mental health Poetry Reconciliation resilience Science STEM Stolen Generation sustainability Wordless books



    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    Recent Posts
    • Wonderful Shoes
    • A Human for Kingsley
    • Dirt Circus League
    • Dark Rise
    • Bear and Rat
    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Posting....