Pickpocket

November 15, 2020
A troubled Canadian teen is packed off to stay with his great-uncle in Nice, France, for the summer in this reluctant reader offering. After the death of his sister, Jean-Luc took up with new friends who are constantly getting into trouble. When his fed-up parents return from a trip to find their house trashed by a party Jean-Luc threw, they send him off to work with Henri, a caterer, so that he can earn the money to reimburse them for the damage. Jean-Luc's path back from being the bad kid is pretty assured from the start, as his self-awareness and empathy for others peek through in small ways, finally emerging in full when he learns about the terrible situation of a beautiful girl named Selina. They meet when she picks his pocket, and, when he learns she is being exploited and abused, he decides he has to help her. The vivid setting of Old Nice is its own character in this quickly paced novel, and the plotting moves along steadily until it ends on an abrupt note. Jean-Luc and his co-worker Marcel, who spends much of the novel working up the nerve to ask out a girl he likes, are the most fleshed-out characters. Unfortunately, Selina seems to only be there to be saved. Characters seem to be White by default. An accessible, engaging tale of redemption. (Fiction. 13-18)

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January 22, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Set on the beaches of Nice, this story follows teenager Jean-Luc, who is reeling and behaving recklessly after the death of his sister. His parents send him to France for the summer to work for his great-uncle Henri selling socca, a type of crepe. While there, he meets Selina, a pickpocket under the control of Le Patron, who leads a criminal ring of pickpockets. The plot is fast-paced as Jean-Luc begins to understand Selina's dangerous circumstances, and the coast of France sets a charming setting for their escapades. Jean-Luc deals with relatable themes like grief and personal responsibility as he helps Selina get out of an abusive situation and helps his uncle prepare for an important catering event. The text is written at a third-grade reading level and a number of features are included to assist reading accessibility, particularly for those who are dyslexic. This engaging text is action-packed and will appeal to striving readers. However, the abuse that Selina experiences at the hands of Le Patron makes the book more suitable for a high school audience. Jean-Luc's appearance isn't described and Selina has dark eyes and hair. VERDICT This accessible, fast-moving story features a unique setting and a moving story of personal redemption. Recommended for high school collections in need of hi-lo materials.-Kathryn Ferrante, Renbrook Sch., West Hartford, CT

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