Swindle by Gordon Korman

Have you ever seen a heist movie where criminals pull off a brilliant robbery? Swindle is the first real heist book for kids that I can remember reading. The kids in this book, with the leadership of sixth-grader Griffin Bing, plan and pull off a very elaborate theft of a baseball card worth one million dollars. The card is in the hands of a shop owner who lied to Griffin about the card's value. Griffin and his best friend Ben just want back what they think is rightfully theirs. However, they have to get past a vicious guard dog, a high tech security system, a strong safe, and a nosy next door neighbor. The cover of the book makes you think it's a dog book or a baseball book, but it's neither of those. It's really the story of a group of kids getting back at an unscrupulous adult who underestimates their intelligence. This will appeal to readers who like action and crime and kids who come out on top. (And don't worry, adults, the kids do realize in the end that they did something seriously illegal)