swindlers and swindling

Seventeen-year-old Ginny Blackstone precipitously travels from her home in New Jersey to London when she receives a message from an unknown man telling her he has the letters that were stolen just before she completed a series of mysterious tasks assigned by her now dead aunt, an artist.

Jaxter Grimjinx, born into a clan of thieves, but unable to pull off a successful heist because of his clumsiness, learns his family members are supposed to be the next heroes of Vengekeep, and, with the help of a new friend, he faces off against flaming monsters, a bazaar of thieves, and a renegade sorcerer while trying to become a hero.

"When the Palatinate Mages unveil their plot to take over the Five Provinces, thirteen-year-old Jaxter Grimjinx and his family of thieves must lead the rebellion to overthrow them"--Provided by publisher.

Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan and thief Mary Quinn is offered a place at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls where she is trained to be part of an all-female investigative unit called The Agency and, at age seventeen, she infiltrates a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships.

In the absence of his older brother, the Great Brain, J.D. finds that his own little brain can accomplish feats on a somewhat lesser scale.

While celebrating his eleventh birthday with his mother and his friend Olga, Klooz relates the case that started his detective career, which involved magic balls, and a boy named Snake who was his best friend.

Wanting to be more like his father, a young boy spends all of his money on a product that will supposedly let him grow a beard almost instantly.

"Josh's mother always had issues--with drugs and just getting by. And Josh has always been the one who kept them together. But when his mom dies, he really is on his own and must find a way to look after himself. On his way to his mother's funeral he meets Lindsay, a cute girl who flirts with him but then steals his wallet. When he confronts her and tells her where he is going, she apologizes, returns his wallet and convinces Josh to let her accompany him to the funeral. So begins a complex relationship that changes both of their lives forever."--Provided by publisher.

"A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists--and the people who fall for their cons over and over again."--Provided from publisher.

All his life journalist Walter Shapiro had heard outlandish stories about his great-uncle Freeman Bernstein. He assumed they were exaggerated family lore---Jewish revenge fantasies dreamt up to entertain the kids. Only when he started to research Freeman's life, did he realize that his family was actually holding back---there were even more stories to tell. From a ragtag childhood in Troy, New York, Freeman made his way through life as a vaudeville manager (where he met his wife, May Ward, who became Mae West), boxing promoter, stock swindler, card shark, and the self-proclaimed "Jade King of China". Then, on February 18, 1937, he was arrested by the LAPD outside of Mae West's apartment in Hollywood. The charge? Grand larcency---for cheating Adolf Hitler and the Nazi government. Freeman had promised to ship thirty-five tons of embargoed Canadian nickel to the Furher. When the cargo arrived, the Germans found only huge, useless quantities of scrap metal and tin. The fake shipment was a huge blow to their economy, war preparations, schedule, and ego. Hitler did not take the bait-and-switch lightly and sent the police after him. But Freeman Bernstein had the last laugh. He swindled Adolf Hitler---and got away with it!.