Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Griffin Bing had a plan. He invited everyone he could think of to a sleepover at the Old Rockford House. It was scheduled to be demolished the next day, but Griffin hoped to use the sleepover as a protest of sorts. He was very disappointed that only his best friend, Ben, showed up.

A group of the kids had the idea that the city could build a skate park on the property when the creepy old house was torn down, but the city officials had other ideas. They thought a museum was a better idea. Griffin had organized the sleepover hoping to get the attention their plan deserved. Instead, all he got was a night in his sleeping bag listening to his friend Ben snore.

Before leaving the old house, the boys did a little exploring. Griffin accidentally discovered a secret drawer, and tucked in that drawer was a card - an old baseball card with a picture of Babe Ruth. He was sure it was valuable and would help solve his parents' financial problems.

After a narrow escape from the wrecking ball, Griffin and Ben hurry to Palomino's Emporium of Collectibles and Memorabilia to get the opinion of an expert. Much to their disappointment, S. Wendell Palomino gives them bad news. The card is a reproduction and worth very little. He offers them $120, and they take the money and run.

Imagine their surprise and fury when the nightly news is carrying the story of one S. Wendell Palomino and his incredible discovery of a valuable baseball trading card valued at $1,000,000. What follows is Griffin's new plan to get back the card he believes is rightfully his.

Gordon Korman has once again created a story sure to captivate middle grade audiences. His adventurous characters, great use of humor, and non-stop action make SWINDLE great fun to read. The easy, fast-moving pace will hold the attention of readers of all levels and will also work well as a read-aloud in many classrooms. ( )

I never actually finished this book, getting to about chapter 10 and abandoning it. Although some students seemed to enjoy it, I wasn't taken with it. Mostly it seemed like long descriptions of how two boys were going to have to go about getting a valuable baseball card back from a man who swindled them. Their methods involved breaking in to his store, lying to a woman and so on. I have really liked other books by Korman, but didn't get into this one. 6th and 7th grade, probably ( )

This is a fun adventure about a boy (Griffin) who finds a valuable baseball card and gets swindled into selling it for very little money. When he realizes he's been duped, he makes a plan to get the card back. It's a bit of a "mission impossible" since the card is guarded by a doberman and secured by fancy alarm systems, but Griffin is motivated - the card could save his family's financial tailspin.

After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way -- a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to drive -- but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue.

This is Gordon Korman at his crowd-pleasing best, perfect for readers who like to hoot, howl, and heist. ( )

The story begins in an old abandoned house where Griffin Bing and his friend Ben find a priceless Babe Ruth baseball card. When Griffin tries to get money from a pawn broker for the card, but instead is swindled out of a million dollars, the real story begins. Griffin, with the help of his friends, must fight to get what is his due. This is a fun read and fast paced.
Grades 3-6
Reviews: Booklist, School Library Journal, Horn Book, VOYA, Kirkus
Curriculum Connection: This is a great book for studying plot and character. The characters are not overly complex, but there are several characters who could be contrasted. The plot is simple and follows a typical plot line. This is also a great read aloud. ( )