Two Crafty Criminals!

March 12, 2012
First published (separately) in England in the 1990s, these two novellas showcase Pullman’s (The Golden Compass) gift for slapstick. Set in London in 1894, both stories feature a likeable gang of would-be detectives led by preteens Sam, nicknamed Thunderbolt for the “colossal blow” with which he knocked out a ruffian who made a nasty remark about his late mother, and Benny, who fancies himself the brains of the operation. In “Thunderbolt’s Waxwork,” the gang must clear Sam’s father from suspicions that he’s been manufacturing (and circulating) counterfeit coins. In “The Gas-Fitters’ Ball,” the gang’s investigation of a theft becomes entangled with their mission to get a shy (adult) friend to propose to his longtime paramour. The comedy is broad, with a distinct British accent, but readers will find affinity with the gang’s aim to lead more exciting lives, especially when that requires skipping school to solve a crime (“ost of them regarded the School Board as the slow-witted opponent in a delightful game, and played hookey at the slightest opportunity”). The trim length and ample hijinks make either story a good choice for classroom reading. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from March 15, 2012
Two 1994 novellas--Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball--plunge readers into the colorful melee of 1894 London in this satisfying, slapstick U.S. debut starring the intrepid boy and girl detectives of the New Cut Gang. Counterfeiting sixpences is "a low, sneaking, sniveling sort of crime," as it hurts the poor the most. So when Thunderbolt Dobney sees his own father hauled off to jail for what he thinks must be "coining," he feels sick inside. Justice prevails when, through a series of outrageously elaborate hijinks, he and the New Cut Gang expose the real criminal. Why a host of crooks is after the unsettlingly hideous wax-headed dummy of Dippy the hot-chestnut vendor is an entirely different case to crack. In The Gas-Fitters' Ball, the New Cut Gang is just lamenting the recent lack of crime in London when the Gas-Fitters' Hall is burgled. No Swedish match or drop of wax goes unnoticed, and another mystery is solved. As ever, Pullman proves himself the master storyteller with laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue and memorable characters that spring to life, from the literally omnivorous Sharky Bob to the "blooming supernatural" Peretti twins and the "oily-eyed poodle-faker" Mr. Horspath. A strong sense of right and wrong permeates the gleeful absurdity of the New Cut Gang's madcap capers and refreshes the soul. (Mystery. 9-12)

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Starred review from May 1, 2012

Gr 3-6-The New Cut Gang, a group of young mischief-makers, rules the streets of late-19th-century London and solves mysteries. In the first case, Thunderbolt Dobney and the rest of the gang investigate a coin counterfeiting resurgence. Things get more serious when Thunderbolt's father is arrested, and it is up to the kids to clear his name and find the real criminal. The second story has them finding the crook who stole the gas-fitter's silver. This case intersects at many points with some of the more impish members' attempts to win a bet by setting up two of their neighbors. These two stories, written and published in the 1990s as individual short novels, are charming, fun, and well written. The character development is minimal, but the stories are wholesome. Simple illustrations adorn some of the pages and are reminiscent of Quentin Blake's work in Roald Dahl's books. Advanced younger readers who may not be ready for the length of Trenton Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society (Little, Brown, 2007) will find great joy in this Victorian detective novel with a sophisticated writing style.-Devin Burritt, Wells Public Library, ME

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2012
Grades 3-6 Set in late Victorian London, this features two adventures (not to mention the attendant misadventures) involving the New Cut Gang, a group of children who attempt to solve crimes in their neighborhood and, by luck as much as brains or pluck, manage to discover the culprits. In Thunderbolt's Waxwork, young Thunderbolt's pa is falsely accused of counterfeiting. In The Gas-Fitters' Ball, Benny attempts to nab a thief, while the other gang members plot to break a friend out of jail. The two stories were first published in England in 1994 as the first and second (and evidently final) volumes of the New Cut Gang series. Pullman writes with the younger reader in mind, creating some larger-than-life characters and spicing the stories with humor, though some of the terms used may convey little to American children. New for this edition, Brown's droll, expressive line drawings add to the book's appeal. A possible read-aloud choice for Anglophile households. High-Demand Backstory: Pullman is on of the best youth authors writing today. A new book from him always engenders interest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)