Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble

Riley Mack #2

by Chris Grabenstein

Briana Bloomfield, the talent Jake Lowenstein, the genius "Mongo," the muscle Jamal Wilson, the fifth grader —and—Riley Mack, the fearless leader

Together, these five are the Known Troublemakers, stirring up trouble in the name of justice. Wherever a wrong needs righting or an innocent kid needs protecting, Riley and his friends will be there, ready to use their problem-causing expertise for the greater good.

Only this time, injustice strikes a little too close to home. School's out for the summer, and somebody's polluting the gang's favorite swimming hole. And if that wasn't enough to ruin the vacation, one of the Troublemakers is in serious trouble, and all of Riley's efforts to help are only making things worse. With ten thousand dollars and the fate of his friends and family on the line, Riley will have to think fast if he hopes to pull off his most daring caper yet!

Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Humor, Realistic Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2013

About the author

CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. His books include the LEMONCELLO, WONDERLAND, HAUNTED MYSTERY, DOG SQUAD, and SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE series, and many fun and funny page-turners co-authored with James Patterson. You can visit Chris at ChrisGrabenstein.com.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this out for Joseph because I thought he would enjoy the mystery & the humor. We all started reading it, me, then Vic, and finally Joseph. To date I'm the only one to finish it.
I was enjoying it but Vic was the one to comment on how well written it was. I liked the characters and I loved how their best laid plans to do good were thwarted again and again and again. Just when a solution was reached and put in place...curses, foiled again. Not to publish a spoiler but pancake mix as an environmental hazard? Yup, it can happen. Riley is the ring leader of this talented young group of middle school students. He's very bright and inquisitive and does truly look out for those in need of his help.
The humor, definitely there and amusing. I have the first one in the series to read next. Unfortunately both books are still in hardcover only.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This crew of "troublemakers" once again put their talents to good use -- righting the wrongs the encounter in middle school life.

[Xander Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very fun book to share with my son. After getting introduced to Riley and his cool gang in the previous novel, "Stirs Up More Trouble" takes us on an excellent ride over the first part of these kids' summer vacations. Whenever my son asks me to read night after night, I know he's into the story. And for me, this sequel was even more enjoyable than the original. The puppy mill plot of the first book wasn't quite as engaging as the pollution disaster here. Plus I really appreciated Mr. and Mrs. Mack's roles in this tale. It was fun to see Riley's mom get in on the action (instead of being rather helpless in the first) and it was great to see Riley rescuing his "war hero" of a dad instead of just reading a rather forced military father/son relationship in the first.
And lest we forget Riley's essential friends! Each of them are really quite amazing. Any of them could be the head honcho of their own gangs, but they fit so perfectly together here that I hope Riley knows how fortunate he is to have such an invaluable crew!
It doesn't look like Grabenstein has written any other Riley Mack stories, but if he ever does, we'll be eager to see what these kids get up to next!

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do a city wide talent show and a closed off swimmer hole have in common? More than you might think in this delightful middle grade caper. The plot was always moving forward, and I loved how everything came together in the end. The characters could have used a bit more development, but that's the adult in me talking. Kids will love it.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley Mack is a hero kids will cheer for. By taking risks and performing "Mission Impossible" type feats with the help of his middle school friends using science, technology, and loads of imagination, his adventures with the EPA, U.S. Military and big business add up to a suspenseful high stakes adventure. Readers who enjoy over the top non-stop action with a little humor mixed in, will enjoy Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can these books get any cuter? They're exciting and funny and I love them. Easy reads and I hope there are more.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is to unrealistic to be true so I actually rate it three and one half stars.