Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers

The story was well written and fast paced enough to keep my kids attention (4, 6, and 10). Also the audible version had great voices. Our entire family listened to it together and had discussions about it. We enjoyed it

What do you do when you see a kid getting bullied? Why, you help them, of course. The fact that helping rescue the kid being bullied involves pulling the wool over the eyes of the bully is what makes for a wonderful introduction to this story. Riley Mack, a 12-year-old kid whose military father has been serving overseas somewhere, takes his job as a protector and defender of those who are smaller and weaker than him very seriously. His job is made more difficult by the fact that several years prior, upset that his father was being shipped out just days before his 9th birthday, he robbed a store and was caught by the town sheriff. As a result, said sheriff, who also happens to be the father of the aforementioned bully, has labeled Riley Mack as a Known Troublemaker; said sheriff also tends to take great pleasure in bullying Riley himself. Of course, Riley isn't going to let that stop him. Especially not when he finds out about a puppy mill in the course of investigating the case of a stolen puppy. Add in a potential bank robbery, a corrupt bank manager, and some missing money, and Riley Mack and his friends have their work cut out for them. This audiobook was a lot of fun to listen to. Neil Hellegers did a great job as the narrator of the story, and the rest of the cast filling in the voices of the characters actually did a good job without overpowering the story. My only real complaint about the audio was in the use of the sound effects. Most of them were fine but there were a few places when sound effects for eating and drinking were used and I really do NOT like when that happens. It's enough for the narrator to say that people are eating. I do not need the sound effects of chewing involved. That inclusion of those sound effects cost the book a star.

Riley Mack has a reputation around town as a troublemaker, although most of the rumors aren’t true. Yes, he stole an ice cream cake years ago…but he had made a point since then to stop! With his rag-tag team of troublemakers – Briana, Ben, Mongo, and Jamal – Riley is on the case. Whether it is to rescue innocent sixth graders or find a lost dog, Riley will stay by his side until the end. But as his searches continue, a deeper plot unravels. Can Riley save the day? Or should he leave it to the adults? While this novel is relatively predictable, Riley Mack and his crew are a fun, relatable cohort to whom most children will relate. Each member of the crew proves to be a valuable asset: Briana is the actress that can send people astray, Mongo is the guy who will stick with his friends to the end, Ben can crack any puzzle via his computer, Jamal can crack any lock and is eager to learn, and Riley will lead them all no matter how difficult the endeavor. No other crew of troublemakers could solve all the problems brewing in the town! Did the story border on unrealistic to some extent? Yes. But children stories are supposed to deposit the reader into the unimaginable! Instead of a world that follows the strict order of law, this story shows that children have what it takes to tackle whatever challenges them! It’s like most modern day cartoons…and it was fun! Isn’t that all we’re asking from in middle grade novels? I think Grabenstein did a great job weaving together all the intricate little pieces. Already, I have read two books by Chris Grabenstein, and while the stories themselves are predictable, the puzzle pieces that he manages to weave throughout the narratives are what make these stories wonderful. As an adult reader, I find them fun and enjoyable. Children will love them even more! So I’d say check this, or any of Grabenstein’s other stories, out! They’re definitely worth the time for you or for your children!

This was fairly well-written, and for the most part I liked it at first. I noped out when the kids made the decision that the "right" solution was to steal puppies from a puppy mill. That just felt a little too "PETA" for me. I would have liked to have seen a better, legal solution to shutting down the puppy mill. And maybe they got there, but I was irritated by then.

I didn’t care for this story but my kids love it! They were laughing so much while listening I thought my son was going to throw up. I highly recommend it. My kids are 8 and 10.

I thought the story was a bit predictable but the grandkids loved it. The reading really helped

Very fun mystery story. The readers were great. I really enjoyed this fun audiobook. Happy listening!

My kids (5-17) and I enjoyed listening to this story. The hilarious jokes and the narrators Meade it easy to listen to