The Outlaws of Sherwood Street: Giving to the Poor

April 1, 2013
Robbie Forester, aided by her magic charm and multicultural band of do-gooders, Tut-Tut, Ashanti and Silas, again battles evil developer Sheldon Gunn and his nefarious underlings (Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street, 2012). Silas, a home-schooled genius who is a master of arcane subjects but scores low on emotional intelligence and physical ability, discovers that his estranged father, Jim Wilders, an expert in Native American culture, is protesting Gunn's proposed new building, a huge tower. Not only will it block out acres of sun, the site could also have been ancestral grounds for an Indian tribe. After Robbie and company find Indian bones on the site, Wilders is murdered. The thriller then moves into warp speed, maintaining its high-adrenaline tension until the happy resolution. Haitian immigrant Tut-Tut, the most soulful character in the first book, plays almost no role in this story, as he's sidelined early after being picked up by the INS. This gives author Abrahams room to develop Ashanti and Silas, who are more fully formed in this go-round. When an important element of a story is a magic charm that responds to injustice, credibility shouldn't be an issue, but coincidence abounds, and readers may find the bad guys too demonic to be real. Still, a fast-paced ride that should appeal to both boys and girls. (Thriller. 10-14)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-In his second book in the series, Abrahams takes readers on a thrilling and, at times, intense ride. Seventh-grade do-gooder Robbie Sherwood and her fellow outlaws, Silas, a homeschooled keeper of obscure knowledge; Ashanti, a fellow private-school attendee and tough girl; and Tut Tut, a Haitian immigrant who has been sold out by his low-life uncle to the INS and is being housed in a juvenile internment facility, get caught up in the fight against Sheldon Gunn, a gentrifying millionaire (a familiar villain to New York readers) attempting to build a Brooklyn high-rise that will not only block the light for what seems like most of the borough, but just happens to sit atop an ancient Native American burial ground. Personal dramas intersect with the larger action; Robbie's mother loses her job as a high-powered lawyer, Ashanti discovers that her father is having an affair, and Silas's predominantly AWOL father is killed in the struggle to reveal the historical remains beneath Gunn's construction site, but the kids manage to take the emotional hits in, at times, not quite believable stride. The exciting climax, in which the good guys mostly emerge unharmed and the bad guys are literally buried in their own greed, is entirely satisfying and will leave readers eager for the next installment. Fans of Kirsten Miller's "Kiki Strike" books (Bloomsbury), Scott Mebus's "Gods of Manhattan" series (Dutton), and Trenton Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society (Little, Brown, 2007) take note!-Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
Grades 5-8 In a follow-up to Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street (2012), Robbie is back, with her friends Ashanti, Silas, and Tut-Tut, foiling the treacherous business dealings of billionaire developer Sheldon Gunn and his Russian mobster lackeys, with pluck, luck, and the intermittent help of their rediscovered silver charm. This time around, Gunn plans on erecting an enormous tower in Brooklyn, thereby destroying a historic Canarsee site in the process. Along for the ride are Silas' estranged father, an outspoken historian and advocate, and Dina DeNunzio, local TV reporter. Abrahams maintains the unusual amalgam of fast-paced adventure, cartoon violence, and sensitive characterization he began in the first book, pulling back on the magic to make space for interpersonal drama and sometimes serious complications in all four kids' lives. He is at his best with these friends, remarkably well-drawn individuals whose honest interactions and sharp, authentic dialogue give the outing real emotional resonance. An open-ended conclusion leaves room for a return to Sherwood Street, which ardent fans will eagerly await.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Greedy developer Sheldon Gunn wants to practically block out the sky in Robbie's Brooklyn neighborhood with his new office tower. But Robbie and her friends feel powerless since they've lost the magic charm that saved them in Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street. Themes of social responsibility and personal relationships lurk under the fast-paced action.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)