Daring Heists: Real Tales of Sensational Robberies and Robbers

by Tom McCarthy

Overview

Stolen artwork, an adrenaline-driven train robbery, and brilliant masters of thievery await in Daring Heists: Real Tales of Sensational Robberies and Robbers for readers ages 9 to 12. This is the third book in the new Mystery & Mayhem series, which features true tales that whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true—almost! The Mystery & Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history.

Each of the five true tales told within Daring Heists is paired with a map, as well as fun facts about the setting, industry, and time period. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to.

Nomad Press books in the Mystery & Mayhem series introduce readers to historical concepts and events by engaging them in an extremely popular genre—real-life adventure and mystery. Readers ages 9 to 12 are fascinated with the strange-but-true tales that populate history, and books in this series offer compelling narrative nonfiction paired with concise language that appeals to both voracious and reluctant readers. Nomad’s unique approach to the study of history uses tantalizing tales based in factual knowledge that encourage a lifelong curiosity in the historical events that shape our world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619305359
Publisher:	Nomad Press
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Series:	Mystery and Mayhem Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	930L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tom McCarthy is an award-winning writer and editor. He has developed and edited titles that have won such awards as Harvard University's Goldsmith Award for Book of the Year, Reader's Digest Top Five Summer Books, Sport Illustrated's The Top Books of the Year, and Esquire's The Year's Five Best Reads. As the series editor for several best-selling collections, including Incredible Pirate Tales, Ghost Pirates, and Incredible Tales of the Sea, he has developed a knack for finding great stories for readers of all ages. Tom's books for Nomad Press include Pirates and Shipwrecks: Real Tales of Terror on the High Seas and Survival: Real Tales of Endurance in the Face of Disaster. He lives in Guilford, CT.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Sensational Robberies and Robbers

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Chapter One: D.B.Cooper: Into Thin Air

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On November 24, 1971, a passenger by the name of Dan Cooper boarded a plane and ordered a drink from the stewardess. Then, he demanded $200,000 in exchange for not setting off the bomb in his briefcase.




Chapter Two: The Queen of Thieves

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Fredericka “Marm” Mandelbaum reigned for more than 25 years as New York City’s crime queen—until she fled to Canada to escape the clutches of the Pinkerton detectives.




Chapter Three: The Great Train Robbery

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A gang of 15 men attacked and robbed a Royal Mail train traveling between Glasgow and London during the early hours of August 8, 1963. The gang stole more than 2 million British pounds and hid out at a farm.




Chapter Four: A Half Billion Dollar Heist

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In the early morning hours after St. Patrick’s Day in 1990, thieves used duct tape to secure the two guards on duty in the basement while they stole 13 pieces of art from a museum in Boston. The art, and the thieves, have never been found.




Chapter Five: The Heist that Hurt an Entire Country

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Several thieves stole 140 priceless Maya, Aztec, and other artifacts from a Mexico City museum, a heist that the police thought could only have been pulled off by experts.


Glossary • Resources

Editorial Reviews

Other titles in the series:

Pirates and Shipwrecks: Real Tales of Terror on the High Seas
Kirkus Reviews
“Employing a casual, conversational tone that reads easily, McCarthy spins five yarns of bloodthirsty pirates and harrowing shipwrecks. McCarthy shows a good sense for the interesting and gory detail, offering up plenty of blood-soaked action while keeping it appropriate for a young readership."

Survival: Real Tales of Endurance in the Face of Disaster
Kirkus Reviews
"Recommend this to fans of the I Survived… series who might be seeking a bit more fact and a little less fiction. A breezy offering just right for fans of survival tales.”

Other titles edited by Tom McCarthy:

Far Afield, A Sportswriting Odyssey by S.L. Price
The New York Times
“The sports reportage in this gracefully written book is strong enough to make the sometimes-dated events seem timeless.”

Esquire Magazine
“Far Afield is mostly a journey of self-discovery, honest and true without any of the usual sun-dappled barf. It reminds us that sports can tell us more about one another than just about anything else we do, so long as someone as able as Price provides the translation.”

Duty, Honor, Victory by Gary Bloomfield
Sports Illustrated
“An excellent book, it could be sent to school with your kids and used for social studies classes.”

Publishers Weekly
“A touching and memorable account of America's athletes on the battlefield.”

Facing Ali: 15 Fighters/15 Stories by Stephen Brunt
Sports Illustrated
“These are men of substance, worth getting to know. Brunt does them justice, but the author has done something even more impressive: He has found something new to report about Muhammad Ali.”

Racing the Sunset: An Athlete’s Quest for Life After Sports by Scott Tinley
Triathlete
“Tinley rubbed shoulders with legends from all sports during the run-up in his own notoriety, and leveraged those relationships in writing his latest book. He opens their grief to us in their own words, and bares his own heart as well.”

Undertaker’s Son by Richard “Digger” Phelps
Donald J. Trump
“Digger is not only a survivor, he’s an optimist who has made an indelible impression on everyone who has been lucky enough to know him. His book is a lesson in having the right attitude to not only overcome obstacles, but to contribute to society and our country in a big way. Undertaker’s Son is a terrific read, and a wonderful book to add to any collection.”

Foul Ball: My Life and Hard Times Trying to Save an Old Ballpark by Jim Bouton
San Francisco Chronicle
“An irresistible story whose outcome remains in doubt until the very end. Not just a funny book, but a patriotic one.”

John Feinstein
“What it shares with Ball Four is Bouton's humor, his keen sense of what's right and wrong, and a remarkable tale that—if you didn't trust the author—you would find difficult to believe."

Jim Bouton
“Ball Four is a book I wanted to write. Foul Ball is a book I had to write.”

Keith Olbermann
“Now in his fifth decade of telling the truth no matter the consequences, Bouton proves that a badly run city government can be just as dangerous—and just as hilarious—as a badly run baseball team.”

Other titles from Nomad Press
Explorers of the New World
School Library Journal
"This informative, entertaining activity book takes readers on a fascinating voyage of their own . . . . An appealing and useful resource."

Children's Literature Review
This combination history and activity book from the "Build it Yourself" series will enliven home school and classroom history units . . . ."

The American Revolution: Experience the Battle for Independence
School Library Journal
"Featuring a lively page design, this volume asks readers a series of questions to prompt them to consider the American Revolution . . . . VERDICT A useful resource; purchase as needed."

Booklist

Adventure is at the forefront of the Mystery & Mayhem series, which visits—and occasionally sensationalizes— exciting true tales.

From the Publisher

08/01/2017
Gr 4–7—These additions to the series appeal to its target audience by focusing on cases that have puzzled law enforcement and the public over the 20th century. Is money worth your life? It is possible the criminal masterminds profiled in Daring Heists thought so, as they all ended up in jail or on the run. Even the unsolved and notorious art theft from the Gardner Museum has left its main suspect jailed and the loot unrecovered. These are crimes that will have readers wanting to find out more about the perpetrators. In Weird Disappearances, McCarthy looks at a series of unresolved cases regarding missing people, including Amelia Earhart, Anastasia Romanov, and Solomon Northrup. Both titles present stories in a quick-flowing style with omniscient third-person narration as a means of appealing to reluctant readers. The titles would benefit from endnotes to help students further research people or events, especially those where McCarthy has postulated a conclusion. Each chapter is supplemented with a map and a sampling of facts about the time. VERDICT A supplemental choice where high-interest, true crime books are in demand.—Betsy Fraser, Calgary Public Library, Canada

School Library Journal