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Meet the author, Gordon Korman. Take a look at his blog and bio information. Then as you read the story he has written see if you can answer a few questions.

1. What did this author have to know to write this book?

2. Why did the author choose this title? Would you choose the same one?

3. What did the author do to interest the reader or pull the reader to the text?

Gordon Korman, Swindle In our July 2007 video interview, this popular author of adventure and realistic fiction talks about his newest book Swindle. Korman also answers these questions ....

1.     How did you discover you wanted to write?

2.     What was your favorite subject in school?

3.     How did your parents encourage your writing?

Good readers ask questions of themselves as they read. Many of those questions are centered around the meaning of words from the story. Look up key words from Swindle to find their meaning in the online dictionary. Or, jot down any unfamiliar words as you read and try to define them, taking clues from the context.

Chapters 1-3 Vocabulary Words:
 stamina
 searing
 plumes
 fortress

Griffin and Ben are sleeping over at the Rockford house. It is scheduled to be demolished first thing the next morning. Does this part of the story make you think or wonder about how they demolish a building?  Use this website to watch and learn about building Implosion.

While in the Rothford house Griffin discovers an old desk with a locked drawer. Fortunately, he was able to discover the hidden latch to the drawer where a lonely baseball card was stored. The card featured Babe Ruth, the Big Bambino, a baseball legend…..read more about this players life and accomplishments.

In the book we learn of Griffin’s family’s financial hardship and money problems. He views the card as a way to fix their problems. That is… if it is worth anything at all. Test your budgeting skills at the following link.

Griffin’s father is an inventor. He invented the Smart Pick™ Fruit Picker. Have you ever designed something to make work easier? Do you know what it takes to become and inventor? Want to invent? Want to play? Check out this site.

Check out these invention sites just for fun.

Check out these invention sites just for fun.

Luthor is a working dog. Are curious about man's best friend? Do you wonder why dogs do and behave the way they do? Or, what kinds of jobs can they do? Learn more about working dogs and their jobs at this link.

Ben and Griffin work diligently to plan their “heist.” Check out the FBI and the CIA kids sites to learn how to increase your surveillance—to watch closely—skills. Can you complete all the activities and solve the problems?

Ben and Griffin work diligently to plan their “heist.” Check out the FBI and the CIA kids sites to learn how to increase your surveillance—to watch closely—skills. Can you complete all the activities and solve the problems?

Here is a connection to the past.  Ben and Griffin learned about The Trojan Horse in history class. How was their plan like the Trojans?

If you enjoyed reading about the Trojan Horse myth from Ancient Greece, then here is another link with others you can read.  Just scroll to the bottom of the page.

As Ben, Griffin and the gang all plan “The Great Baseball Card Heist” they have to understand how a security system works in order to out-smart Palomino’s alarm.  Read and learn more at this link.

Ben and Griffin learn from Mr. Martinez that they can get a blueprint of Swindle’s house from the building department. But when reading it became too difficult, what did the boys do? Just for fun… you read blueprints? Here is a good place to start and learn the basics.