Hideout

December 1, 2012
Hiding out's easy; forcing 150 pounds of former guard dog to hide out--not so much. Thirteen-year-old "Man With The Plan" Griffin Bing and his five friends are celebrating the fifth birthday of Savannah's rescued Doberman, Luthor, when S. Wendell Palomino, or "Swindle," as they came to know him during their first adventure, arrives to say he is suing to get Luthor back. The kids know it's because Swindle heard that Luthor nearly won a ton of money at a recent dog show. When the dog pound fails to produce Luthor's release-for-adoption paperwork, Swindle wins him back. Rather than surrender her beloved fur-friend, Savannah prevails on the group to help her hide him...but all of them are headed to different summer camps in a few days. Griffin must devise his most complex plan to date, and when that goes south (as most of his plans do), it's on to yet another scheme, since Swindle's promised to use his dog-show winnings to make the kids' lives miserable forever. Korman's fifth caper is wholly unbelievable from start to finish but a ton of fun nonetheless. Kids will be too busy laughing at the antics of Griffin and his pals to mind their implausibility. Easy, slick and silly; it's Saturday-morning-cartoon hijinks between the covers of a book. (Fiction. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2013

Gr 5-7-Readers ready for adventure and high jinks should be pleased with this latest title about Griffin Bing and his friends. This time, the last person they ever thought would show his face again has slimed his way back into town with a nasty agenda. Swindle wants not only revenge for having his reputation ruined, but he also wants his dog back. Luthor has been living with Savannah ever since Swindle ran off. But Swindle, hoping to make money now that the dog is famous, has changed his story about giving him up. Griffin needs a plan to rescue the oversize Doberman and decides to make him disappear. A fast-paced mystery that has it all, this title will make old fans rejoice while bringing new ones into the fold. A short recap in the beginning brings readers up to speed on what happened in the previous books. Familiar characters are brought back and the problems come barreling in from the get-go. The pace is quick, the story line is amusingly far-fetched, and the writing is at its best. Hilarious and sure to please, this is required reading for those already hooked on the escapades of Griffin and his pals.-Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.