the great greene heist by varian johnson

Trained in the art of conning by his own grandfather, Jackson’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side when things go down. Since The Blitz at the Fitz the former con king Jackson Greene has gone straight. With that in mind, this book is poised to make a whole lotta kids very happy. If the ultimate child fantasy is to be in charge, the logical extension of that is to be the kind of person who is also a good leader. The joy of a book like The Great Greene Heist is manifold, but what I think I’ll take away from it best is author Varian Johnson’s ability to make this a story about a boy who knows how to do something very well (pulling cons) while also telling a compelling tale of a kid who knows what it means to be in charge and never abuses that power. It’s a place a lot of kids know about, and it wouldn’t take much prodding for readers to believe that beneath the surface it’s a raging cesspool of corruption and crime. But for some kids, independence becomes a lot more interesting when it’s couched in their familiar, everyday, mundane world. Often this dream takes the form of numerous orphan novels (it’s a lot easier to be independent if you don’t have any pesky parents swooping about), tales in which the child is some form of royalty (orphaned royalty, nine times out of ten), and other tropes. The ability to make your own rules and to have people fall in line. When a kid looks at the world, what is almost attainable but just out of their grasp for the moment? Autonomy, my friends. Let’s think a little more realistically here.

What is the ultimate child fantasy? I’m not talking bubble gum sheets or wizards that tell you you’re “the chosen one”.

The great greene heist by varian johnson