(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter de Sève. In 1849, twelve-year-old Zeb Crabtree meets gambler and grifter extraordinaire Charles "Chilly" Larpenteur. Zeb, after losing his money, is seduced into Chilly's complicated con to "help rich gents be a bit more charitable and Christian-like with their pocketbooks." That Zeb is neither superhero nor helpless victim is a tribute to the rousing plot's nuances. An appended author's note provides rich historical background. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Peter de Sève. A sophisticated duchess has no time for the "normal as they come" Earl of Norm. But when the palace cook takes ill, the earl wins the duchess's heart...with an ordinary sandwich. In this entertaining story about getting past surface-level impressions, both text and illustrations feature extravagant royal humor (e.g., the keen-to-impress earl wears "a brightly brocaded cape borrowed from his flamboyant twin brother").

Reviewer: Nell Beram