The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid

From the creators of the New York Times bestselling Wildwood Chronicles comes an original, humorous, and fast-paced middle grade novel about a band of child pickpockets—imagine The Invention of Hugo Cabret meets Oliver Twist. It is an ordinary Tuesday morning in April when bored, lonely Charlie Fisher witnesses something incredible. Right before his eyes, in a busy square in Marseille, a group of pickpockets pulls off an amazing robbery. As the young bandits appear to melt into the crowd, Charlie realizes with a start that he himself was one of their marks. Yet Charlie is less alarmed than intrigued. This is the most thrilling thing that’s happened to him since he came to France with his father, an American diplomat. So instead of reporting the thieves, Charlie defends one of their cannons, Amir, to the police, under one condition: he teach Charlie the tricks of the trade. What starts off as a lesson on pinches, kicks, and chumps soon turns into an invitation for Charlie to join the secret world of the whiz mob, an international band of child thieves who trained at the mysterious School of Seven Bells. The whiz mob are independent and incredibly skilled and make their own way in the world—they are everything Charlie yearns to be. But what at first seemed like a (relatively) harmless new pastime draws him into a dangerous adventure with global stakes greater than he could have ever imagined. Found Family: For Charlie, a lonely diplomat’s son, the tight-knit "whiz mob" is the family he’s always craved—even if their family business is picking pockets. Coming of Age Story: What begins as a quest for excitement becomes a journey of self-discovery as Charlie learns the tricks of the trade from his new friend Amir and finds his own courage. Historical Fiction for Kids: Step into the bustling squares and hidden alleyways of 1960s Marseille, France, a city with a style and danger all its own. A Secret School for Thieves: Discover the School of Seven Bells, the mysterious and exclusive academy where the world’s most talented young pickpockets are trained.