Urban Outlaws

Gr 5–8—Heads up, fans of Alex Rider: here's the next thing! Five British tweens use their advanced skills in hacking, thievery, and deception to take from the powerful and give to those in need. In this first book of the series, the Urban Outlaws (Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink, and Wren) investigate a villian who uses a supercomputer for nefarious purposes. The gripping plot twists through underground lairs, rooftop break-ins, shadowy government interrogations, and more—almost all at night—with all the fancy tech gadgetry, disguises, and awesomely dangerous athletic skills readers could want. Characters, while distinguished primarily by their independent skills, show off their individual personalities with ready-for-television snappy dialogue. The narrative primarily follows the thoughts of Jack, the mastermind, allowing glimpses into the backstory of these orphans-turned-Merry Men but doesn't get bogged down in set-up or uneccessary description. A fun, fast pick worthy of every middle-grade collection, this may even catch the attention of older reluctant readers.—Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC