School Library Journal
Gr 5–7—The characters from Korman's Swindle (Scholastic, 2008) are reunited in this action-packed story. Eleven-year-old Savannah Drysdale's pet monkey has gone missing, and Savannah is sure that Cleo was stolen. On a class field trip aboard a floating animal zoo, she is convinced that the monkey in one of the exhibits is her pet. She enlists the help of her friend Griffin, known as the "Man With a Plan," to execute a zoo break. But, as Griffin knows, what looks good on paper doesn't always turn out quite as planned, especially when furry creatures are involved, and the rescuers end up with a lot more than they bargained for. Although the novel is heavy on plot and includes some very predictable bad guys, Korman manages to involve readers in the adventures of some likable young people who believe that they need to act, and not wait for adults to save the day. A satisfying read.—Kathy Kirchoefer, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, New Carrollton, MD
Kirkus Reviews
Griffin Bing, "The Man With The Plan," and his full complement of co-conspirators from Swindle (2008) are back. Animal whisperer Savannah's Capuchin monkey Cleopatra turns up missing, and a suspicious banana leads Savannah to the conclusion that Cleo's been monkey-napped. They find her in a run-down floating zoo, but adults and authorities are no help in getting the monkey back. Griffin already has worries enough, since his best bud, the narcoleptic Ben, is about to be shipped off to a special school for those with sleep disorders. Even so, everyone agrees to a plan to spring Cleo-but they end up having to spring the whole zoo. The plan to hide 40 animals from parents and police and Mr. Nastase, the awful zookeeper, only works for so long, prompting Griffin to move on to plan three . . . . Possibly more improbable and even sillier than the first, Korman's second tale of 11-year-old Mr. Fix-it Griffin and his friends is a page-turning adventure that reads like a Disney movie waiting to be made. The author's fans will be more than pleased, and those unfamiliar with the first will likely look it up. (Fiction. 9-12)
From the Publisher
Praise for the Swindle series:
"Goofball-funny and addictive." -Kirkus Reviews
"Pure fun from top to bottom." -School Library Journal
"Korman's fast moving, feel-good suspense novel will have middle schoolers, especially boys, turning the pages." -Voice of Youth Advocates
MARCH 2010 - AudioFile
Fans of Griffin Bing's first adventure, SWINDLE, will be thrilled with this follow-up, and though listeners don't need to have read that story, they won’t want to miss it. Here narrator Jonathan Ross has a field day, giving strong performances as Bing and the other members of this motley crew of sixth-graders. Someone has swiped Savannah's monkey, and when the gang discovers her in a fleabag zoo, the bumbling villains come to rue the day they messed with these kids. High jinks ensue, and Ross brings them all off with such spirited conviction that listeners will think there may have been a caper or two in his own childhood. D.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
