Author Chris Grabenstein: Books for Kids!

RILEY MACK and the Other Known Troublemakers
The first in a new Action-Adventure series

COOL STUFF!

Now Available!

A FUN NEW SERIES FULL OF ACTION, ADVENTURE, AND DOGS!

What do you get when you add up:

1 middle-school bully
2 bank robbers
57 dogs in peril
4,000 missing dollars
and
5 daring troublemakers
led by the
1 and only
Riley Mack?

1 CRAZY CAPER!

RILEY MACK and the Other Known Troublemakers

When former improvisational comedian and screenwriter turned award-winning mystery author Chris Grabenstein writes a kid's book, he delivers page-turning plot twists, pitch-perfect dialogue, and one-liners that pepper the text like exploding firecrackers. Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers, the first book in a hilarious new action-adventure series, is a classic crime caper, a funny, fast-paced mystery/comedy with lovable characters, non-stop action—and a barnful of dogs.

Seventh-grade mastermind Riley Mack and his best buds always come to the rescue when family or friends are in trouble, even if it takes some high-octane subterfuge and fifty pounds of dog food. Kids ages 8-12 will root for Riley and his "Gnat Pack": tech-savvy Jake, dramatic Brianna, big-guy Mongo, and brainy Jamal. They'll hiss for the bad guys, too—the bully Gavin Brown; his father, Fairview's crooked police chief; his conniving grandmother, who runs a filthy puppy mill; and Fairview's gambling-addicted bank manager, who tries to frame Riley's mom. Throw in one stolen goldendoodle, two bumbling bank robbers, and plenty of duct tape, and the action never flags.

Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers will have readers snorting soda out their noses, proving once again that Grabenstein is a master at concocting irresistible stories for middle-grade readers.

BUY THE HARDCOVER:
IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | HarperCollins Children's

HarperCollins Children's, Hardcover, April 2012, ISBN-13: 978-0062026200

COOL STUFF!

Read the first three chapters
Read about the Riley Mack book launch (PDF)
Check out The Riley Mack Study Guide
Meet the real Riley!
Meet Fred!
See what the Humane Society says about puppy mills

Let the world know you're a "Known Trouble Maker"!
with fun T-Shirts and Buttons

Riley Mack Trailer

Praise

"When a stand-up comedian sits down to write a book, you can bet it will be funny. And Riley Mack is funny."
—Ted Bell, New York Times bestselling author of The Time Pirate

"Riley Mack is my new best friend! Chris Grabenstein writes with humor and heart, and I found myself glued to the pages!"
—Wendy Mass, award-winning author of A Mango-Shaped Space

"This book is funny and smart, filled with adventurous exploits and a cast of crazy characters. Kids from eight up will enjoy every page filled with daring action led by Riley, who isn't a troublemaker at all, but the town hero."
—City Book Review (read the full review)

"Chris Grabenstein's Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers is a fun romp. It's funny and filled with great characters. The villains are truly nasty and a little stupid. The group of heroes are appealing characters. Chris Grabenstein has been one of favorite authors since I read his first John Ceepak mystery. He continues to win my loyalty with every book. Now, he's added one of my favorite sub-genres to his repertoire, the comic crime caper. Share this book with a kid you love. But, do yourself a favor. If you enjoy a comic adventure, read it for yourself."
—Lesa Holstine, librarian and blogger

"I really liked Riley Mack and highly recommend it. The story features Riley Mack, the 12 year old leader of the "Gnat Pack" a group of known troublemakers. It is funny, cunning, well put together, exciting and just pure awesome. It was cunning because "The Gnat Pack" always comes up with awesome ideas to outwit evildoers and thwart the bullies! The characters are such a good combination. Some are geniuses others are actresses and others are just plain mean, but all together, they work together perfectly."
—Lily, age 10

"If you are looking for non-required summer reading to capture the attention of a middle-grader, possibly even a reluctant reader, then Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers is a perfect fit. With a background in improv comedy, author Chris Grabenstein lets that wit shine through in this wacky, comedic adventure.
According to the local police chief, Riley Mack is a Known Troublemaker. Riley's first encounter with the police was right after his dad was deployed to Afghanistan. Angry and lost, Riley shoplifted an ice cream cake. Since then, he has decided to use his skills for good and has rounded up a band of other troublemakers—Mongo, Briana, and Jake—forming what the chief calls the Gnat Pack. After they save a new fifth-grader, Jamal, from a bully (who just happens to be the chief's son), Jamal (an expert lock-picker) tells the Gnat Pack about a rash of thefts among fifth-graders.
But the Gnat Pack has a bigger crime to solve—the dognapping of Mongo's new goldendoodle puppy. When the dog's collar shows up among stolen items being sold at a booth run by the chief's mother, the kids stumble onto a puppy mill. Always wanting to save those in trouble, these troublemakers concoct a scheme to rescue the dogs. And if that were not enough, they will also take down an embezzler and stop a bank robbery!
Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers is non-stop fun. The action never once lags and the hilarity just keeps coming. This combination is certain to keep even a reluctant middle-grade reader engaged. The pacing is perfect, allowing the pages to just fly by. And while Riley might go about things in a very unorthodox way, what he stands for—helping those in need—makes him a great role model for middle-schoolers. Chris Grabenstein has a winner with Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers. Hopefully this is the start of a fresh new middle grade series."
—Ricki Marking-Camuto, Bookloons.com

What a super cute book! Riley Mack was a fun read. You know what it really reminded me of—the Disney movies I grew up with! Really!
Here's what I liked:

It started off right away! Love the whole beginning scene where the bully is taken down
Although the kids were a bit unrealistic I could completely buy into them. And they were LIKABLE! Many times in a book like this the characters will be so over the top that I can't like them. I didn't have that problem in this book. Riley was great and so was his team of various characters.
There were parents! Yes actual parents in the book. The mom in particular was great. It was nice to see that the parents were OK and not completely left out.
It has dogs! I love dogs, so how could I not love it. And then the cute little shaky French bulldog. Awwwwww!
It's a "caper". You know those stories. Bad guys. Good guys. A plan to stop the bad guys. Lots of action some of it silly. Again—reminds me of a Disney movie!!!!
Equal parts boy and girl book. Love that even tho the main character is a boy (Riley) so that will appeal to boys, there are some great girl characters (Briana) so girls will like it too. I'm always looking for more books like that.
I love books where the kids take the lead and save the day. And that definitely happens here.
Riley is such a great leader and planner, but one that lets others shine too. What a great role model! It seems like there are several TV shows where the main characters is kinda yucky and rude and you don't see that here at all. It's refreshing! Plus it's makes it a great book for me to recommend to my students.

OK as you can see I liked the book. It's fun. It has a bunch of action so it keeps the readers interested and reading (a plus for those reluctant readers!).
—Jill, 7th Grade English Teacher & Blogger at The O.W.L.