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Overview
The hilarious third SWINDLE book - now in paperback!Griffin Bing's new principal doesn't like him. And Griffin doesn't like the boot camp football atmosphere the new principal has brought. Griffin manages to stay out of trouble -- until a Super Bowl ring disappears from the school's display case, with Griffin's retainer left in its place. Griffin has been framed! Unfortunately, the Man doesn't have a Plan - and everything his team tries to find out who really took the ring backfires. Griffin ends up in an alternate school, then under house arrest, and finally with an electronic anklet - with no way to prove his innocence! Griffin smells a rat - but will he be able to solve the mystery in time?
Editorials
From the Publisher
Praise for Framed:“Goofball-funny and addictive” Kirkus Reviews
“Make no mistake; this mystery will keep readers guessing until the end, and there is enough action to keep readers on the edge of their seats.” School Library Journal
Children's Literature -
Middle-schooler Griffin Bing has been in trouble before (namely, in the two previous books about him) but this year's hilariously preposterous predicament is the worst. He is accused of stealing the valuable 1969 Super Bowl ring won by an alumnus and replacing it in the school's display case with his dental retainer. Griffin's motley collection of loyal friends—including a boy who has narcolepsy and keeps a ferret in his pocket to nip him awake when necessary, a football-playing girl, another who is a techno-whiz, an animal trainer, a declamatory actor, and a number of other colorful characters—help Griffin develop and carry out Plans to exonerate him. But their shenanigans only get Griffin into messier jams. As a result, he's sent to an alternative school where a real criminal unfortunately befriends him, then court, and, finally, house-arrest complete with an electronic ankle bracelet. Even his trusting parents become exasperated. To make matters worse, the new principal, Dr. Egan, aka Dr. Evil, always suspects the worst, and his suspicions are publicized by the town's gossip columnist. Ultimately, the animal-lover figures out that the real thief is a packrat, and the crew has to figure out how to convince the adults. The fast-paced, carefully structured plot is somewhat complicated, and the characters, though sharply defined, are numerous. Still, both boys and girls will get swept up in and laugh at Griffin's self-defeating but always well-meaning exploits. Reviewer: Cynthia LevinsonSchool Library Journal
Gr 5–7—Korman's fans will welcome this follow-up to Swindle (2008) and Zoobreak (2009, both Scholastic). The Man with the Plan needs help from his friends at Cedarville Middle School to clear him of a crime he didn't commit. When a valuable Super Bowl ring goes missing, the principal is convinced that Griffin is involved, and the kids are convinced that Principal Egan is trying to pin the heist on them. It appears that Griffin has been framed, and each attempt to clear his name seems to get the friends in more trouble. This mystery will draw readers in with its quickly developing plot that combines unconventional characters and situations with believable dialogue and plot twists. Griffin's just a normal kid trying to keep track of his retainer, but when you have friends like Ben Slovak, who has a ferret constantly at his side, and Savannah Drysdale, an avid animal enthusiast, some strange situations will occur. Framed introduces a new character to the group when Griffin lands himself in Jail For Kids and has to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet. He meets his match in Shank Brickhaus, also a "planner," whose family's expertise in nuisance wildlife plays a major role in Griffin standing trial for a crime he didn't commit. Make no mistake; this mystery will keep readers guessing until the end, and there is enough action and even a Hollywood-style car chase to keep reluctant readers on the edge of their seats.—Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OHKirkus Reviews
"The Man With The Plan," Griffin Bing, and his 12-year-old fix-it clique have graduated to Cedarville Middle School, and the new principal is a total nightmare. A former high-school football coach, Dr. Egan (aka Dr. Evil) makes the whole school exercise instead of having homeroom, and he warns Griffin he's fully aware of the boy's nearly illegal activities past. When Griffin's errant retainer is discovered in a locked display case in place of the Super Bowl ring of a former student, Griffin is sent to JFK (jail for kids) Alternative Education Center while the case works its way through courts. Griffin and his friends know he's innocent--but unfortunately the man with the plan's plans have the usual result: Everyone gets in more trouble. Griffin's suddenly under house arrest, and the other kids have to use their specialized skills to find the real thief before he's sent further up the river. Korman's third caper starring Griffin & Co. features some conclusion-jumping that would do Inspector Clouseau proud as well as plenty of improbable adult reactions...but it's just as goofball-funny and addictive as the previous two (Zoobreak, 2009, etc.).(Fiction. 9-12)