The Great Greene Heist

by Varian Johnson

Overview

Saving the school -- one con at a time.

"A political heist page-turner set in middle school? Is that even possible? Varian Johnson shows us how it's done." - Gordon Korman, author of SWINDLE "Do yourself a favor and start reading immediately." - Rebecca Stead, author of WHEN YOU REACH ME Jackson Greene swears he's given up scheming. Then school bully Keith Sinclair announces he's running for Student Council president, against Jackson's former friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby wants Jackson to stay out of it -- but he knows Keith has "connections" to the principal, which could win him the presidency no matter the vote count. So Jackson assembles a crack team: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess. Charlie de la Cruz, reporter. Together they devise a plan that will take down Keith, win Gaby's respect, and make sure the election is done right. If they can pull it off, it will be remembered as the school's greatest con ever -- one worthy of the name THE GREAT GREENE HEIST.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545525541
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/27/2014
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	823,810
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Varian Johnson is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Parker Inheritance, which won both Coretta Scott King Author Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor awards, The Great Greene Heist, an ALA Notable Children’s Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book, and a Texas Library Association Lone Star List selection, and the graphic novel Twins co-created with Shannon Wright, an NPR Best Book. He lives with his family near Austin, Texas. You can visit him on the web at varianjohnson.com and @varianjohnson.

Read an Excerpt

After leaving Dr. Kelsey's office, Jackson took a slight detour on the way to study hall. As he walked, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his notepad. It hadn't gotten much use over the last four months, but that was about to change.Jackson stopped in front of Charlie's locker. On the paper, he wrote:My house. 4:00 p.m.I have a plan.He slipped the note through a vent in the locker. Then Jackson let his eyes linger on one of Gaby's posters. He could still hear her voice in his head, asking why he kept breaking the rules. Asking why he couldn't keep his promise to be a normal student.He placed his pencil behind his ear and straightened his tie.Now wasn't a time to be normal. Now was a time to be infamous.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2014
Gr 5–8—After his last heist went bad and he lost Gaby, the girl he liked, Jackson Greene swore off breaking the rules. But when his old nemesis, Keith Sinclair, plans to steal the school election from Gaby and cut the budget for every afterschool activity except the Gamer Club, Jackson decides to use his con-man skills yet again. Jackson does a little digging and discovers that Keith plans on rigging the election by bribing the principal with a large donation from his father. Can Jackson save the day by stealing the election back for his friend or will his nemesis beat him at his own game? The characters are likable, if a bit thin. Although the premise is implausible, the plot is fast paced, well developed, and has a lot of unique twists and turns that will draw readers in from start to finish. Hand this unique book to kids who like mystery, adventure, and Robin Hood-esque stories.—Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT

School Library Journal

In his first novel for middle-grade readers, Johnson cleverly integrates familiar issues like cafeteria food, gossip and first crushes with dashes of politics and race. His cast of characters is refreshingly diverse, both in ethnicity…and skill set…It's a thrilling ride that may con reluctant readers into settling down on the couch with books like The Great Greene Heist instead of the remote control.

The New York Times - Brianna Albanese

04/14/2014
Jackson Greene, 13, has exhibited “four months of model behavior,” an amazing feat considering that he naturally tends toward scheming, pranking, and dreaming (it runs in the family). After a kissing incident that’s been dubbed “Mid-Day PDA,” Jackson’s friend Gabriela de la Cruz isn’t speaking to him. Now Gaby’s friends have nominated her for school president, and conniving classmate Keith Sinclair is determined to win the election by any means necessary. Without a second thought, Jackson rounds up computer whiz Hashemi, Gaby’s newspaper editor brother Charlie, and several others in an attempt to revive his friendship (and maybe more?) with Gaby and save school clubs that could be cut if Keith is elected. Johnson (Saving Maddie) delivers an exciting Ocean’s Eleven–style caper for the middle-school crowd, with third-person narration jumping between the various plotters, who concoct an impressive seven schemes in less than three weeks. While in the big picture, the stakes are low, it’s easy to get swept up in the exploits of Johnson’s entertaining and diverse crew. Ages 10–14. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Great Greene Heist:"A delightful and diverse cast of middle school students with a wide range of backgrounds and interest concocts a series of elaborate schemes . . . The elaborate bait-and-switch of this fast-paced, funny caper novel will surprise its readers as much as the victims." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review"A political heist page-turner set in middle school? Is that even possible? Varian Johnson shows us how it's done, expertly walking the tightrope between true-to-life school experiences and belly laughs." – Gordon Korman, author of Swindle and The Hypnotists"Pay attention! This terrific story speeds ahead on every page, but the lively characters will make you care enough to keep up. Do yourself a favor and start reading immediately.” – Rebecca Stead, Newbery-winning author of When You Reach Me and Liar and Spy“This fast, funny heist novel takes the reader on a ride full of twists and turns. I'm a sucker for a good scam, and Jackson and his gang work one of the best in the business. Nice pull, Varian Johnson!” – Jude Watson, author of Loot and The 39 Clues: In Too Deep"The Great Greene Heist is one crazy cool caper!" – Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor-winning author of One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be 11"A smart, charming, and hilarious novel featuring one of my favorite protagonists in years. I'd follow Jackson Greene anywhere, and The Great Greene Heist is a fantastic ride." – Matt de la Pena, author of The Living and Mexican Whiteboy

From the Publisher

★ 2014-02-26
Trying to go straight, troublemaker Jackson Greene succumbs to the lure of the con when it appears Maplewood Middle School's student-council election is being rigged against his friend Gaby de la Cruz. Although Gaby's been angry at Jackson for more than four months, the two could be more than just friends. And her twin brother, Charlie, Jackson's best friend, is worried about her electoral chances. So Jackson breaks rule No. 3 of the Greene Code of Conduct: "Never con for love. Or even like." During the week before the election, a delightful and diverse cast of middle school students with a wide range of backgrounds and interests concocts a series of elaborate schemes to make sure the Scantron-counted ballots will produce honest results. While all this is going on, Gaby is busily campaigning and rethinking her love life. References to previous escapades are so common readers may think this is a sequel, and the cast of characters is dizzying. But the results are worth it. Allusions to Star Trek abound. There is a helpful appended explanation of the cons and their shorthand references as well as the Greene Code. The elaborate bait and switch of this fast-paced, funny caper novel will surprise its readers as much as the victims. They'll want to reread immediately so they can admire the setup. (Fiction. 10-15)

Kirkus Reviews