Framed! (Framed! #1)

by James Ponti (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Framed!

Get to know the only kid on the FBI Director's speed dial and several international criminals' most wanted lists all because of his Theory of All Small Things in this hilarious start to a brand-new middle grade mystery series.

So you're only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help...What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country?

If you're Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both.

Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He's learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It's a technique he invented to solve life's little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls.

But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn't little. In fact, it's HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL.

Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?

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Kirkus

The real draws here are the two resourceful leads' solid, realistic friendship, bolstered by snappy dialogue, brisk pacing, andwell-crafted ancillary characters--not to mention behind-the-scenes glimpses ofthe FBI.More escapades are promised in this improbable but satisfying series starter

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7—Mystery buffs and fans of Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" series are in for a treat. Protagonist Florian uses a special technique he calls T.O.A.S.T. (Theory of All Small Things) to solve mysteries. The technique enables Florian to draw conclusions based on noticing tiny details. Florian has just moved with his family to Washington, DC. He has never had many friends before. When he meets Margaret, the girl who lives next door, she is intrigued and fascinated by T.O.A.S.T. and begs Florian to teach it to her. When they go to the National Gallery of Art so Florian can teach her his method, they discover details that may be linked to the theft of three paintings. Florian's use of T.O.A.S.T. to find the missing art impresses the FBI so much that he is asked to become a covert consultant. When a dangerous crime syndicate kidnaps Florian, he will have to use every trick he knows to escape and save the day. Florian is funny and smart and grows throughout the novel. VERDICT With elements of Alex Rider, James Bond, and Sherlock Holmes stories, this is likely to be popular with mystery and action/adventure fans.—Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence, RI

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
James Ponti
James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: the all-new City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award-winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy-nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781481436304
Lexile Measure
680
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Aladdin Paperbacks
Publication date
August 23, 2016
Series
Framed!
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
United States
Mystery and detective stories
Friendship in children
Art thefts
JUVENILE FICTION / Mysteries & Detective Stor
JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / Gener
Washington (D.C.)
JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories

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