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Two Crafty Criminals!: And How They Were Captured By The Daring Detectives Of The New Cut Gang (2011)

by Philip Pullman(Favorite Author)

3.35 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0375870296 (ISBN13: 9780375870293)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Knopf Books for Young Readers

review 1: This set of two mysteries was fun, but not spectacular. I listened to the book in the car and I enjoyed it. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but it's not quite a 4, so there you go. The mysteries take place in London (not 100% certain of the time - but it is in the past - I must not have been paying attention 100% of the time while listening). The second mystery was better - easier to follow. In the first, Thunderbolt and his friends are trying to clear Thunderbolt's father of what they think is a charge of counterfeiting. What ensues is a bit of silliness that is at times hard to believe, but it is almost fathomable. The second mystery revolves around stolen silver - with Thunderbolt and his friends again trying to uncover the real culprits. This mystery ties up ... morea bit more neatly than the first - at least the conclusion is a bit more believable.
review 2: I'm not sure why they're only now re-releasing some of Philip Pullman's stories for younger children here in the States, but I'm so glad about it. He does a fantastic job of evoking time & place, fully sketching characters, adding quite a dash of droll humor, & also making a happy ending. This book is actually two in one, both stories about the "New Cut Gang," a group of four kids living in the London neighborhood of Lambeth, who are remarkably good at solving mysteries while just having fun. Although both tales show that life in this particular time & place was rough & ready with a fair amount of work to scrape by, the portrayal of the kids' families show love & happiness. The bad guys are over-the-top enough not to be too scary, although, because of the historical references, I think a middle-grade reader of a specific type would do best with this. I liked these entertaining & humorous stories as much as I liked "Count Karlstein." They're really fun, & very different from Pullman's more serious teen writings, proving him a very versatile author, indeed. less

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