Framed

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?

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 Levinson

Gordon Korman is one of the most beloved contemporary authors of today with more than 40 middle-grade novels to his credit. He published his first book at the wee age of fourteen, which turned into the Bruno and Boots series- still in print! Also a tireless self-promoter, Gordon travels across the country and even travels abroad to promote his books. Originally from Toronto, Gordon and his wife, a teacher, now live on Long Island with their little boy.