Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming, twisty caper about kid pickpockets in France.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As THE WHIZ MOB AND THE GRENADINE KID opens, it's 1961 and 12-year-old Charlie Fisher arrives in Marseille as an American diplomat's son, financially well-off but unsure how to make friends. After he meets a friendly thief named Amir, he's welcomed into a secret band of pickpockets who claim to steal only from those who can afford it. Charlie becomes obsessed with learning how to fleece the unsuspecting and starts doing bigger capers -- until he makes a terrible discovery that changes his understanding of everything that has happened to him in Marseille.
Is It Any Good?
There are few things as enjoyable as a good caper, and this heist novel set in France contains all the elements of the genre. With The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid, author Colin Meloy sets up a tricky premise and lures readers into a trap of intricate design. Charlie and his fellow thieves are a colorful group of well-defined characters, and their use of slang adds to their individuality. Carson Ellis' illustrations sustain the note of comedy that runs through the story.
Even the most attentive reader is unlikely to foresee all of the plot's many surprises, and the ending is perfect.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of child pickpockets in The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid. Do you think their portrayal is realistic? How might the fictional thieves differ from real-life ones?
Charlie's diplomat father desperately wants him to attend upper-class social events. Why do parents sometimes insist that their kids participate in activities they don't enjoy?
What lessons about honesty and integrity does Charlie learn from the Mob? What makes him give in to their manipulations so easily?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Carson Ellis
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , History , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : October 24, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 432
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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