The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid

I had to write a review after reading another review talking about the pickpocket themes here as a bad influence. Because I think that misses that the real theme in this book is the dangers of peer pressure, which the protagonist, Charlie, struggles with, and ultimately overcomes. This is a serious theme and one teens will likely encounter at some point in their lives, but it's easy to tune out messages about drugs or other common peer-pressure targets because kids hear those themes so much and feel they're already prepared for those dangers (even when they aren't). But by making the subject of the peer pressure something unfamiliar and intriguing, even something romantic on its surface, it's much easier for us as readers to empathize with Charlie's unfortunate choices... which set up his ultimate need for redemption. At the same time, it's similar to real-world temptations that a teen might encounter, where they know it's wrong but can be easily convinced that it's harmless. Does it require a little parental discussion? Perhaps, depending on your young reader. I'd suggest this is an excellent book to foster discussions between parents and children about the risks of peer pressure. In terms of the story itself, being a fan of Wildwood I found myself a little disappointed with the slower pace and lack of expansive scale in the first part of the book, but once you realize that this is more a story about the character's inner journey, it's really delightful, and the second half of the book moves much quicker, along with an excellent climactic encounter. As always, Meloy's narrative voice is engaging (with lots of clever asides, similar to Lemony Snicket but not quite that extreme), and Ellis' drawings are charming. I wish I had known when I started reading that there's a glossary of pickpocket slang at the back of the book! The glossary isn't totally necessary as it's fun learning the confusing language along with Charlie, but sometimes you just want to refresh your memory about a term.

This little book came to us because the author is part of band I have listened to for ages. The creative ideas that spawned the story are really rather fun, do a quick search to see the authors interviews on the publishers webpage. The book takes the time to engage children in a way that teaches writing and story development. But does all of this in a story line that also offers lessons in morality. We listened to the audio book and used the text as a sort of read along, this worked beautifully for my children as one is not as confident of a reader.