And as he's been hanging out a lot with Gaby de la Cruz, he thinks maybe, just maybe, they'll soon have their first kiss.

His friends have great new projects of their own. He is officially retired from conning, so Principal Kelsey is (mostly) off his back. View a video frames Jackson Greene and his friends for a crime they didn't commit, Gang Greene battles the blackmailers in this sequel to the acclaimed The Great Greene Heist.Please note: This review is based on the advanced reader’s copy provided by the publisher, Scholastic Books, for review purposes. A few of the girls are better computer nerds than the guys and just as good at plotting semi-evil escapades. Johnson also makes sure to make all the action in the story gender-neutral. It’s also one of the few middle grade books featuring an action hero who is African American, and although it’s barely mentioned, the entire cast of characters is very diverse. It’s got a bit of everything so it will appeal to a wide range of readers: action, mystery, good and evil, friendship, humor, and a smidgeon of romance. This is a great recommendation for reluctant readers and for those who like action stories.

Jackson does have a girlfriend and much is made of their first kiss, so those in fifth grade through middle school will likely appreciate this story most. The story is perfect for fourth graders through eighth grade. Most middle school students could do worse than emulate Jackson Greene. And it’s about admitting when you are wrong when it’s the right thing to do. The book is filled with humor and examples of how sometimes you have to do something wrong to make something right. The dialogue and narrative brilliantly create characters that seem real and action that is believable. He is a Robin Hood-type character, only creating his crooked schemes to right wrongs and foil the real bad guys. He’s irreverent, brilliant, honorable, and very, very sneaky. But the best character is the title character Jackson Greene. The characters are as diverse in terms of personality and intelligence as they are racially. In fact, in the first book, the characters refer to a previous escapade which is explained in detail, but which left this reader wondering if there was another book before that one.

It’s the sequel to “The Great Greene Heist,” and while many say that “To Catch a Cheat” is a stand-alone book, it’s a much better read after reading the first book. It’s all harmless mischief in “To Catch a Cheat” by Varian Johnson.

To catch a cheat by varian johnson