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Two Crafty Criminals!: and how they were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang
Benny Kaminsky and Thunderbolt Dobney lead a rag-tag gang of neighborhood rowdies. Their territory is the New Cut on London's South Bank—a place bristling with swindlers, bookies, pickpockets, and the occasional policeman. And their aim is to solve crimes.
When counterfeit coins start showing up in their neighborhood, Thunderbolt fears his own father may be behind the crime...more
When counterfeit coins start showing up in their neighborhood, Thunderbolt fears his own father may be behind the crime...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 8th 2012
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
(first published 2011)
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Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!
The kids of the New Cut Gang live in that charmed and whimsical world children inhabit until the crush of adulthood and responsibility; adults fall in line with their demands and nothing is impossible for the likes of Benny, Thunderbolt, Bridie and Sharky Boy - not even uncovering dastardly criminals or even meeting the Prince of Wales. Philip Pullman's latest publication might not stand level with the likes of the His Dark Materials trilogy but Two...more
The kids of the New Cut Gang live in that charmed and whimsical world children inhabit until the crush of adulthood and responsibility; adults fall in line with their demands and nothing is impossible for the likes of Benny, Thunderbolt, Bridie and Sharky Boy - not even uncovering dastardly criminals or even meeting the Prince of Wales. Philip Pullman's latest publication might not stand level with the likes of the His Dark Materials trilogy but Two...more
Philip Pullman's Two Crafty Criminals consists of two novellas--Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas Fitter's Ball. Like The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials) the stories were probably written for youth, but they are at least as likely (or more) to be appreciated by adults, and like The Golden Compass et al, they are set in Victorian England with a lot of accurate historical trivia. Thunderbolt's Waxwork does have a head scuplted by Benny, not Thunderbolt, which gets placed in the Horror section...more
In 1895, the New Cut Gang in London consists of their (often too) inventive leader Benny, clumsy Thunderbolt, Irish Bridie and her little brother Sharky who will eat literally anything, and the two Perletti sisters Angela and Zerlina who look like angels, but as Benny says, are too dangerous not to have in the gang. In this book they solve two mysteries and capture two nefarious criminals, because really, the police are just not smart enough to do it on their own.
This book is mostly pure romp--r...more
This book is mostly pure romp--r...more
I'm not sure why they're only now re-releasing some of Philip Pullman's stories for younger children here in the States, but I'm so glad about it. He does a fantastic job of evoking time & place, fully sketching characters, adding quite a dash of droll humor, & also making a happy ending. This book is actually two in one, both stories about the "New Cut Gang," a group of four kids living in the London neighborhood of Lambeth, who are remarkably good at solving mysteries while just having...more
May 11, 2013
Ivonne Rovira
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
adults who can appreciate children's books
Recommended to Ivonne by:
Paul Sawyier Library
I truly loved the books of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy — The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass — despite a streak of darkness in that magical children’s series, but I was totally put off by Pullman’s contrarian cruelty in the second of the Sally Lockhart mysteries, The Shadow of the North, which I quit reading even though I was nearly to the end.
Despite that, Two Crafty Criminals!: and how they were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang looke...more
Despite that, Two Crafty Criminals!: and how they were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang looke...more
Pullman brings a strong sense of time and place to this exhilarating adventure in the streets of London. Readers are immediately thrown into a quirky, working class neighborhood and the team of adventure-seeking scamps who are to be our guides. It takes a couple of chapters to start to make sense of who is who and what they're up to, but once you get it all straight, it's a pretty amusing trip full of mystery, disguises (some less effective than others), a bit of danger, and no shortage of hare-...more
This set of two mysteries was fun, but not spectacular. I listened to the book in the car and I enjoyed it. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars, but it's not quite a 4, so there you go. The mysteries take place in London (not 100% certain of the time - but it is in the past - I must not have been paying attention 100% of the time while listening). The second mystery was better - easier to follow. In the first, Thunderbolt and his friends are trying to clear Thunderbolt's father of what they think i...more
Each character in the New Cut Gang is exactly that ... a Character! Pullman paints a picture of Victorian England's working man's world, complete with rival neighborhood gangs, children who admire good grown-ups and parents who don't beat their children. This delightful book contains two stories that kept me grinning and rooting for the Gang on every page.
Benny is an " Artful Dodger", but with a good family. Thunderbolt lives alone with his dad and they love each other dearly. Bridie sleeps with...more
Benny is an " Artful Dodger", but with a good family. Thunderbolt lives alone with his dad and they love each other dearly. Bridie sleeps with...more
Two Crafty Criminals! and How They Were Captured by the Daring Detectives of the New Cut Gang is actually a really long, unwieldy new title for two previously released UK novellas: Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball. These two hilarious stories tell the adventures of a 'gang' of enchanting, lively, quirky, kids in Victorian England.
Once again, Pullman has crafted characters that dwell in the reader's mind rather than the page. These kids are real kids: by turns smart, clueless, brav...more
Once again, Pullman has crafted characters that dwell in the reader's mind rather than the page. These kids are real kids: by turns smart, clueless, brav...more
1 like · like · see review
I think it would be nearly impossible to read these books and to be unhappy while doing so. The sheer charm and cheekiness of the main characters completely won me over as did the lighthearted tone of a romp. These stories are not very serious and there are many comedic moments that left me chuckle.
This book is actually two short stories featuring an overlapping cast of characters but focusing on different mysteries. I found the first one confusing due to the many different personalities present...more
This book is actually two short stories featuring an overlapping cast of characters but focusing on different mysteries. I found the first one confusing due to the many different personalities present...more
This book is actually two novellas: “Thunderbolt’s Waxwork” and “The Gas-Fitters’ Ball.” I listened to these stories during a long car ride and was highly entertained. Pullman has created an engaging and great group of characters. The kids - of the New Cut Gang - are the stars as they solve mysteries and prove themselves to be smarter than the adults.
There was lots of great humour and adventure, and I can see kids really enjoying reading or listening to these stories. I also really enjoyed them...more
There was lots of great humour and adventure, and I can see kids really enjoying reading or listening to these stories. I also really enjoyed them...more
This is a funny book about a gang of kids living in London at the turn of the century. The book is really two separate mysteries that surround the same group of kids. The characters are interesting but for me it was hard to understand some of the story because of the old English vocabulary they used. It was perfect for the story, but I found when I finished the book that there was a glossary of vocabulary that would have been helpful while I was reading. I'm not sure my students will have the pa...more
It's been a while since I've read anything of Pullman's, so I picked this up on a whim. The characters and story remind me of a grubbier, British version of the Boxcar Children. While it made for a delightful read, at first I was confused because it seemed like the reader should already be familiar with the characters. Unless there is a previous book about the New Cut Gang that I am unaware of, it would have been nice to have a little more exposition so I wasn't scrambling to figure out the cont...more
Two Crafty Criminals by Phillip Pullman is a collection of two stories, featuring a group of young detectives called the New Cut Gang, that were previously published individually in '96 and '98. The stories really are separate from each other and even feature different gang members. The first story, Thunderbolt's Waxwork, follows Sam/Thunderbolt as he tries to figure out who is making the fake currency that has been showing up all over town. His father is suspected, and even Thunderbolt is not e...more
1 like · like · see review
Review by Madison
This book combines 2 stories in one. The first being that of Thunderbolts Waxwork, the other The Gas Fitters Ball.
The main characters in both books are Sharky Bob, Bridie, Benny, Thunderbolt aka Sam alongside the twins, Angela and Zerlina. The book follows them through the 2 mysteries which they have to solve together as The New Cut Gang. In Thunderbolts Waxwork fake coins are being given out while in The Gas Fitters Ball £10,000 of silver is stolen. The New Cut Gang have to sol...more
This book combines 2 stories in one. The first being that of Thunderbolts Waxwork, the other The Gas Fitters Ball.
The main characters in both books are Sharky Bob, Bridie, Benny, Thunderbolt aka Sam alongside the twins, Angela and Zerlina. The book follows them through the 2 mysteries which they have to solve together as The New Cut Gang. In Thunderbolts Waxwork fake coins are being given out while in The Gas Fitters Ball £10,000 of silver is stolen. The New Cut Gang have to sol...more
This twosome of books is about the New Cut gang, a gang of well-meaning children based in Victorian Lambeth. On Philip Pullman's website he says:
"Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball are two of my favourites among my stories. There was going to be a series of six of them, but the editor who commissioned them at Puffin left to go to another publisher, and somehow they got abandoned.
"They're funny (I hope) tales about the children in the New Cut Gang, a mixed bunch of vagabonds and rasc...more
"Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball are two of my favourites among my stories. There was going to be a series of six of them, but the editor who commissioned them at Puffin left to go to another publisher, and somehow they got abandoned.
"They're funny (I hope) tales about the children in the New Cut Gang, a mixed bunch of vagabonds and rasc...more
The minute I saw this one in NetGalley, I wanted it desperately, because I loved the His Dark Materials series. Two Crafty Criminals is quite a different story than those books. In fact, the book isn't so much a book as two shorter books bound into one. This could just as easily have been published as two volumes in a series.
Two Crafty Criminals! reads kind of like a television show for kids, one where they solve mysteries or commit hijinks along a particular plot line in each episode. The third...more
Two Crafty Criminals! reads kind of like a television show for kids, one where they solve mysteries or commit hijinks along a particular plot line in each episode. The third...more
This is literally a book about two criminals, as told in two different stories. And it has been a joy to read about the children of the New Cut Gang and their adventures. The two primary characters are Benny, the leader, and Thunderbolt, a smart kid nicknamed as such after he knocked down a member of another gang.
The members of the New Cut Gang have distinct, merry personalities. The key characters all take a turn at telling their part of the story as needed for the plot to move forward, and it...more
The members of the New Cut Gang have distinct, merry personalities. The key characters all take a turn at telling their part of the story as needed for the plot to move forward, and it...more
Sep 12, 2011
Beth Kemp
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
review-books,
kids-mystery
These are classic kids' stories: fast-paced, funny and exciting. The Victorian setting allows Pullman's gang to roam around, getting into scrapes and generally being much more independent than is possible for contemporary kids. And of course, that's at least half the fun - kids will love imagining they could have such adventures. Parents will also find these reminiscent of beloved stories from their own childhood. Although they are entirely suitable for a confident reader to read alone, they're...more
The Adventures of the New Cut Gang is a bind up of 2 stories by Philip Pullman that were originally published in the 1990's - Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-Fitters' Ball. This is a beautiful hardback edition and has been wonderfully illustrated by Martin Brown making it a lovely book to hold a permanent position on any bookshelf. I hadn't read either of these stories before but as a fan of Philip Pullman I couldn't wait to get stuck in and I definitely wasn't disappointed.
In Thunderbolt's Wa...more
In Thunderbolt's Wa...more
The Adventures of the New Cut Gang combines the two previous books released in the series (Thunderbolt's Waxwork and The Gas-fitter's Ball) into one novel. Both stories are very accessible and relatable to children, with quirky characters that play detective and get into exciting adventures. Of course they're much more clever than the local policemen and always manage to solve the mysteries they encounter. Albeit the book is predictable at times and some of the storylines are a bit too convenien...more
Two different stories featuring the same cast of characters. I don't know how your average third grader would take it - it's historical fiction (1890's) and written with british dialect but the stories are simple clear detective stories with twists, just easy enough to figure out so you feel superior. I loved 'em. I loved 'em.
I love how the author captures the kids point of view from their wild imaginations to their inflated self importance. By the way, I listened to the audiobook version. I expect this book is much better heard aloud than read. I imagine the British slang could get overwhelming if read in print.
Sep 07, 2011
Debbie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
vine-programme,
childrens-books
With new illustrations from the horrible histories team this is a double bill of books previously published in the 90's.
Set in victorian england featuring children age 6-13.
I would say the target readers age would be around 8-9 years. That said my children aged 8 + 10 couldnt raise any interest in reading or being read this book. Id put that down to the slow start where nothing interesting happens together with too many charactors who you dont get to know well enough before the story moves on.
A...more
Set in victorian england featuring children age 6-13.
I would say the target readers age would be around 8-9 years. That said my children aged 8 + 10 couldnt raise any interest in reading or being read this book. Id put that down to the slow start where nothing interesting happens together with too many charactors who you dont get to know well enough before the story moves on.
A...more
Aug 19, 2012
Lindsay
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Shelves:
children,
mystery,
england,
friends,
friendship,
family,
fathers,
historical-fiction,
ar-5-4,
for-middle-grades-4-8,
abandoned,
19th-century
This book is composed of two mystery/detective stories. I was only able to get through the first story, so I have labeled this book as abandoned. I rated it since I did read the first story. I'm not sure if it was my mood, but I couldn't get into the story and kept checking the pages to see when it would end. I tend to like mystery but am not a big fan of historical fiction (I have a degree in history, but I tend to get antsy with lengthy descriptions of locale, etc.), so it may just be the genr...more
It's pretty good, but not great. I had never read any books by Pullman other than His Dark Materials, so I was looking forward to this, but I think maybe it's just targeted at a much younger audience. Probably good for 8-10 year olds.
Quite the romp, with much use of British slang, money, and slapstick. With guidance a young person could be introduced to the basics of gambling and good deeds through the reading of this novel. Fun!
Comic capers with the New Cut gang in Lambeth in the late 1800s. They solve two mysteries using convoluted schemes - from toe books originally published in the UK in the 1990s.
Two stories in one. The New Cut Gang solves mysteries in 1800's London. Humorous, but the vernacular demands a more mature reader. Read-aloud would be a fun option.
Highly amusing. Who knew Philip Pullman could be so hilarious? I was certainly surprised. This would be a fun one to share with kids.
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from his official website:
"I was born in Norwich in 1946, and educated in England, Zimbabwe, and Australia, before my family settled in North Wales. I received my secondary education at the excellent Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, and then went to Exeter College, Oxford, to read English, though I never learned to read it very well.
"I found my way into the teaching profession at the age of 25, and taught...more
More about Philip Pullman...
"I was born in Norwich in 1946, and educated in England, Zimbabwe, and Australia, before my family settled in North Wales. I received my secondary education at the excellent Ysgol Ardudwy, Harlech, and then went to Exeter College, Oxford, to read English, though I never learned to read it very well.
"I found my way into the teaching profession at the age of 25, and taught...more
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Also, did you see his next book is a retelling of Grimm's Fairy Tales?
Mar 26, 2012 05:29pm
And NO!...more
updated Mar 26, 2012 05:42pm