Thieves!

March 1, 2006
Gr 5-10 -Ten well-planned major robberies reveal the ingenuity of the criminal mind. The devious men in these fascinating accounts are no ordinary thieves. Dan Cooper parachuted from a Boeing 727 in mid flight at night with $200,000 of extorted cash. A small band of Italians spirited the world-famous portrait of Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris. The meticulous technique of American bank robber Willie Sutton was so well known that he was blamed for crimes committed by numerous copycats long after he had given up the business. These are just a few of the bold endeavors described in intricate detail. There are seven additional stories in the introductory chapter. Among these briefer accounts is the unusual action of a Parisian actor and civil servant who -stole - the files against his friends during the French Revolution by eating them, thus saving many condemned people from execution. Realistic dialogue and step-by-step descriptions make this work suspenseful and exciting. The subtle conclusions to be drawn from all of the stories are that few thieves go uncaught or really get to enjoy their spoils. Donald Sobol -s "Encyclopedia Brown -s Book of Wacky Crimes" (Random, 1984) and "Encyclopedia Brown -s Strange but True Crimes" (Scholastic, 1992) are both loaded with lightly told, very brief criminal adventures spiced with humorous cartoons. Anita Gustafson -s "Guilty or Innocent?" (Holt, 1985) describes the deeds of 10 murderers. For true, rousing adventurers, each with one or more sources listed in the bibliography, Schroeder -s compilation can -t be beat." -Ann G. Brouse, Steele Memorial Library, Elmira, NY"

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