FAKER

As the son of a grifter, 12-year-old Trey has his con artist routine down to a science: enroll in a new school, make friends, introduce his father to his friends' wealthy parents, and get out before their targets realize they've been scammed. Their current ploy involves selling shares in a fake electric car company, and this time, Trey's dad is finally bringing him in as a full-time partner, an arrangement which aggravates Trey's ambitious younger sister. Now attending Boxelder Middle School in Tennessee, Trey is excited to help his father make what could be their "Big Score." But Trey's new friends, including socially conscious Kaylee and gregarious Logan, have him reconsidering his previous disdain about settling down. And when Trey receives an anonymous message claiming "I know what you're doing," he's stuck in a no-win situation. How is he supposed to protect his family--and his budding new life--without giving himself away? In this lively adventure by Korman (Slugfest), characters navigate complex ethical issues surrounding right and wrong, responsibility, and actions and repercussions. Trey's riveting struggle to justify his family's actions while seeking a more grounded life is levied by Korman's signature humor. Major characters cue as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (July)

A con man's son yearns for a different way of life. Having helped his single dad fleece wealthy marks since kindergarten, Trey is adept at spotting their rich offspring in each new school he attends and cultivating them until the time comes for a quick getaway. Now that he's 12, though, the urge to make real friends and put down some roots has become insistent--particularly since he's drawn to Kaylee, a new classmate in his latest middle school. How can he convince his dad, who's in the midst of luring local investors into a fantastically lucrative scheme involving a fictive electric car, that it's time to bag the family profession and settle down? Korman goes more for ironic humor than the physical or stand-up sort in this book, as shown by Trey's enrollment in an ethics class that forces him into some decidedly hypocritical stances. Much like Trey himself, instant new bestie Logan and his parents turn out to be not at all who they seem. And though there are no bullies or real baddies in the cast on the way to the story's rosy but implausible resolution, Trey's malign, high-strung, and wildly reckless huckster of a little sister from hell definitely adds both conflict and suspense to this provocative outing. Main characters read white. Glitzy glimpses of life on the make, lightened by a focus on alternatives rather than consequences. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.