Jackpot: A Swindle Mystery
In the sixth installment of Korman’s Swindle series, 13-year-old Griffin Bing (aka “the Man with the Plan”) and his friends try to track down a $30 million lottery ticket that’s due to expire within a month. The countdown ticks away throughout the book as the kids deal with shifting loyalties, a bully who gets sympathy after being hoodwinked, and an ingratiating new student who has something against Griffin. Thanks to help from several sources, including Luthor the Doberman and Griffin’s father’s unusual new invention, the team learns to work together again. Korman has written better books, but the action moves along like Luthor—swiftly and unstoppably. Grades 3-6. --Abby Nolan