The Horn Book Guide

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Helgerson, Joseph

Crows & Cards

344 pp. | Houghton | April, 2009 | Trade ISBN 978-0-618-88395-0 $16.00

(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