The Great Chocolate Caper (Heist #1) (Joel McKerrow, Penguin)

The Great Chocolate Caper is the first in the middle-grade Heist series by performance poet Joel McKerrow. Andy McGee is struggling to fit in and make friends in his first year of high school, until a group of mischievous students drag him and Marlie Balooby, the only other student from his primary school, into an unexpected adventure: a small-scale heist of the chocolate stored in the back of the science department. But when they discover that the chocolate is turning people into aliens, the stakes are raised. Suddenly, the newly formed friendship group – the heist squad – must race to destroy all of the chocolate to stop aliens from taking over the world. A blend of science fiction and adventure, The Great Chocolate Caper delivers humour reminiscent of Nat Amoore and Fiona Katauskas. Ideal for readers aged 9–12 and readers of funny junior fiction who are growing up and looking for something more age-appropriate, The Great Chocolate Caper is absurd and suspenseful, with long passages of intricate detail balanced by fast-paced dialogue and structured into short, high-energy chapters. Plus, it features more chocolate than any children’s novel I can recall since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! Andy and Marlie are not only captivating problem solvers individually, but their growing friendship hints at the beginning of an age-appropriate romance. McKerrow carefully weaves these elements into a thrilling middle-grade heist series that will leave readers eager for more.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Clare Millar is a writer, editor and children's bookseller. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews