The Great Greene Heist

“He refused to jeopardize four months of model behavior for a quick snack, no matter how hungry he was.”

The author grounds the story by having Jackson experience real sensations such as hunger. The omniscient narrator also reveals Jackson has a checkered past explaining the name of the chapter “A New Leaf.” Since Jackson is on his way to a secret meeting, the chances of his “turning over a new leaf,” a euphemism for starting fresh, are in jeopardy.

“Although she was six inches taller than Gaby and Fiona, she slouched just enough to mask the difference.”

Though her distinctive height is an advantage on the basketball court, when she is around her peers, Lynne hunches over to disguise her tall stature. Lynne’s slouching illustrates her desire to fit in with her peers and to be seen less intimidating or different because of her differences.

“Gaby closed her eyes. Jackson Greene and his stupid Code of Conduct. ‘It’s nothing. Nada.’”

Gaby’s internal dialogue reveals she and Jackson have a complicated past. Though it appears she would like to forget him and his rules, she still remembers them. Gaby’s use of nada, Spanish for nothing reveals she is bilingual and Latina.

“She had never been brave enough to tell him how she really felt.”

This passage reveals Gaby’s feelings for Jackson became complicated. Gaby’s lack of communication explains the tension between her and Jackson and presents another conflict within the narrative.

“Sure, it weighed a pound and was too big to hold in one hand, but it was still technological perfection.”

The author weaves in heist tropes through the introduction of Jackson’s friend Hashemi. Jackson is the “Mastermind” and Hashemi is the “Gadget Guy” who is skilled with technology. Though Hashemi’s MAPE is an impressive invention for a middle school kid, it is clunky and imperfect. This detail keeps the narrative grounded and renders the characters relatable to the reader.

“And I thought nerds were supposed to be the cool guys.”

Throughout the narrative, the author subverts stereotypical labels for teenagers. Hashemi is angered that Stewart Hogan, a football star, has captured Megan’s eye and makes this ironic statement about social politics in the school.

“No sidekick today? […] Or did Speedy Gonzales finally grow a brain and figure out that he shouldn’t cross me?”

Keith makes a racially derogatory jab at Charlie and refers to him as Mexican because of his Latino ethnicity. Jackson later corrects Keith by pointing out Charlie is Puerto Rican, not Mexican. The author uses this moment to point to a micro-aggression that occurs in real life and highlights the importance of educating oneself on diversity and correctly identifying a person’s ethnicity.

“As a member of the Chess Team, he didn’t care for the more geeky members of the nerd spectrum—i.e., the Tech Club, with their silly comic book talk and excessive ‘fanboying’ of electronics. He felt they were beneath the more intellectual nerds.”

Victor Cho’s ideation of a “nerd spectrum” illustrates the nuance the author introduces into the stereotypical categorizations of teenagers. Victor looks down on the other nerds because he sees himself as more intelligent with more refined tastes in academic pursuits and hobbies. By parsing these broad categories into smaller factions, the author illustrates the truth that no one term or label can define a person. This moment also shows there can be discrimination and inequality even within a group commonly thought of as outsiders.

“Don’t look at me like that. Your eyebrows grew back. Eventually.”

The narrative is full of witty banter between Jackson and his eclectic group of friends. The author uses these moments to inject humor into the story as well as reveal plot points. At this moment, Charlie questions whether he should trust Jackson due to his past. Jackson’s response hilariously reveals that a caper in the past cost Charlie his eyebrows. These fun, lighthearted moments add another layer to the characters’ adventurous and amusing personalities.

“Don’t get me started on the school board. How are we supposed to get our kids ready for the ‘global marketplace’ or whatever they call it if we’re not cramming their schedules with math and science? I bet those Asians aren’t wasting their time on art and music—no offense.”

Ms. Appleton rants at Victor posing as Danny Nguyen about schools offering art and music courses. Her fictional speech alludes to reality as schools are forced to cut arts courses due to lack of funding or the view that the courses are a waste of time. Studies show, however, participation in the arts can be a valuable and rewarding experience for students, especially those who are not into athletic pursuits. Ms. Appleton also makes a racially derogatory comment in referring to the stereotype that all Asians are good at math and science.

“I couldn’t find any black ones, so I spray-painted Mom’s yellow kitchen gloves. Is that all right?”

Hashemi takes his role seriously and shows up for the school break-in dressed all in black, including the spray-painted kitchen gloves. Though Hashemi is the technology guru for Jackson’s team, he is still a teenager. The author uses humor to maintain a light-hearted feeling in keeping with the middle-grade tone. It is a laugh-out-loud moment that all readers will enjoy, but also an endearing one as Hashemi illustrates his loyalty to Jackson and his excitement of being included in the heist.

“It’s in beta.”

This phrase becomes a common motif repeated at different intervals throughout the narrative. The beta stage refers to the development phase of an invention where the developer tests the prototype in different situations to make edits and fix bugs. Hashemi is a technology genius for someone his age, and though his inventions do not always work, his zeal for discovery and innovation makes him a memorable character. The beta stage can also serve as a symbol of adolescence. Middle school students are no longer children, but not yet adults, and adolescence is a time when they must test choices to adjust their identity going forward.

“…as my abuelo would say, that boy is mas lento que una caravana de cobos.”

Gaby’s mother quotes her grandfather in Spanish saying Omar is “as slow as a caravan of crabs.” The author incorporates diversity into the cast of characters as well as into the dialogue of the narrative. This allows readers to experience seeing themselves in the story or learning about another culture through reading the book.

“It was also as boring as ketchup flowing out of a bottle.”

Gaby worries over her campaign speech thinking it will bore the crowd. The author uses figurative language in the form of a simile to compare listening to her speech being like watching ketchup slowly drain out of a bottle. Lynne encourages Gaby to ditch her planned speech and speak from the heart.

“And let’s be honest—if you’re going to wear a pimpernel, it may as well be scarlet.”

Jackson’s Botany Club creates flowers for all the candidates to wear at the dance. Symbolically, Gaby’s is a chrysanthemum, a callback to the flower she wore in her hair earlier in the narrative. Jackson wears a scarlet pimpernel which is a literary allusion to the 1905 novel by Baroness Orczy named after the flower. Based on the plot of the novel, the term “a scarlet pimpernel” refers to an individual who uses clever disguises and other heroic tactics to rescue someone in distress.

“You know how good ideas are. It’s hard to pin them on one person. It’s more of a group effort.”

As Keith collects his boutonniere, Keith asks who had the idea to make flowers for all the candidates. Gaby is not aware of Jackson’s covert use of the flowers as tracking devices as well as to trigger Keith’s allergies. Her response is in line with her campaign promise and her personality. She supports students working together to make the school a better place.

“I promise, I’m having the time of my life…”

Bradley offers to stay in the office to supervise the voting machine. Dr. Kelsey worries he will miss out on the fun at the dance, but Bradley’s response indicates his offer is part of the plan. Bradley also enjoys being a part of the crew. Jackson’s inclusion of him has given him confidence and made him feel seen.

“We’ll run the same con that Jackson was trying to pull—call for a recount and win once they hand-count the ballots.”

In a twist, Jackson plants doubt in Keith’s mind that he is going to win the election by a landslide, triggering him to make an impulsive decision and manipulate the results himself. Jackson cleverly relieves himself of the need to act maliciously by playing on Keith’s inflated ego and lack of self-confidence. Keith seals his fate by not stopping to consider the possible consequences of his reaction.

“People think it’s just a science fiction movie, but it’s so much more. There’s a great message about how the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…”

As Jackson tries to stall Mr. James, he asks him if he has ever seen the Star Trek movie mentioned earlier in the narrative, titled Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Jackson explains the theme of the movie, which is also a theme of the student council election as Gaby ran on a platform pledging to work for the betterment of all the students at Maplewood, not just those who are popular or athletic. Jackson makes a valid point about the genre of science fiction in that it is best known for its complex world-building and use of futuristic technology, but the genre also works to explore the limits of technology in fighting against injustice and evil in corrupt systems of power.

“Do you like the Robot in Disguise? I ordered it special, just for you. Chrysanthemums, lilies, juniper, wisteria, ragweed, dandelions. The florist was a little confused when I told her to keep the polled on the lilies—”

In the back matter titled “The Great Greene Heist Cons,” the author explains the Robot in Disguise is a reference to the Transformers television show theme song. Gaby’s bouquet is disguised as a lovely gift, but contains a clever trick used to expose the villainous Keith.

“Sorry to break this to you, but it was always part of the plan for Victor to pull an Anakin Skywalker.”

Anakin Skywalker, from the Star Wars movies, begins as a Jedi and turns to the dark side after the death of his wife. The author explains in the back matter this term is used in heists to describe a turncoat or a person who switches their loyalties in the middle of a heist. Jackson knew Victor was not loyal, and as any good mastermind, had a backup plan already in place.

“…we’re going to help Mom make a batch of pasteles for dinner.”

Pasteles are a traditional Puerto Rican food consisting of banana leaves stuffed with green banana masa and pork and adobo. They are a labor-intensive dish that takes all day and often involves all the family members working together. Though Gaby’s Puerto Rican ethnicity is not the central focus of her character, the author is careful to weave in threads of Puerto Rican culture throughout the story. Her invitation to Jackson to join in making the traditional dish is an honor and a signal their friendship is healed.

“And so the Infamous Jackson Greene and his partner, Charlie de la Cruz, exited the gymnasium, whispering in hushed tones, discussing a heist involving the hacking of a certain administrator’s computer to quadruple the budgets for the Botany Club, the Tech Club, the Herald staff, the Art Geeks, and the Student Council…”

The novel ends with Gaby’s character arc as the election results show she is the winner of the election. However, the matter of Dr. Kelsey’s corruption remains unsolved. The author leaves the ending open for a sequel in which Jackson and Charlie work to avenge the wrongdoing of their principal and solve the remaining inequalities in the student body organizations. The ending scene has a cinematic quality to it as the reader can picture Jackson and Charlie walking away as the screen fades to black.