Swindle (novel)
 | This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (May 2016) |
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| Author | Gordon Korman |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jennifer Taylor |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Adventure Children's |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
Publication date | 2008 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 1-163 |
| ISBN | 978-0-439-90345-5 |
| Followed by | Zoobreak |
Swindle is a 2008 children's novel by Gordon Korman.[1] It is a caper story about the retrieval of a valuable baseball card. The book was the first of a series, followed by Zoobreak, Framed!, Showoff, Hideout, Jackpot, Unleashed, and Jingle.[2]
Plot
A smart, young boy named Griffin Bing decides to invite his entire class grade over for a sleepover in an old house about to be demolished after the town's plan for using as a new space in their town to make a skate park was thrown out because of their youth. However, on the night of the sleepover, only Griffin and his best friend Ben Slovak show up. Griffin finds a vintage baseball card. The card was a 1920 Babe Ruth trading card worth $974,000. S. Palomino, or Swindle as the boys call him stiffed them and gave Griffin only 120 dollars for the card. Griffin gave half to Ben. The boys attempt to steal the card from a safe in Palomino's shop, but it has been moved. After discovering that it is in his house, they group up with a few other people and decide to steal the card back in an elaborate heist. They steal the card, but leave a little evidence to their identity, and they are caught. However, news of Swindle's swindling comes out in the newspaper, and he does not press charges-instead, he moves out of town. The card goes on auction, selling for 974,000 dollars, with the money eventually going to a town museum and the skate park.
Film
A TV movie Swindle based on the novel was released on Nickelodeon in 2013.