Urban Outlaws

by Peter Jay Black

Overview

Deep beneath the city live five extraordinary kids: world-famous hacker Jack, gadget geek Charlie, free runner Slink, communications chief Obi, and decoy expert Wren. Orphans bonded over their shared sense of justice, the kids have formed the Urban Outlaws, a group dedicated to outsmarting criminals and handing out their stolen money through Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.s).

But the kids find themselves in serious trouble when they're caught in an epic battle to control Proteus, a genius super-computer. Proteus can crack any code in the world-and steal top-secret documents in nanoseconds. It's down to the Urban Outlaws to use their guile, guts, and skill to destroy the computer, avert world domination . . . and stay alive.

Don't miss the global launch of this debut series from Peter Jay Black-the perfect mix of explosive action, cool technology, and characters with lots of heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619634015
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/07/2014
Series:	Urban Outlaws
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Peter Jay Black loves gadgets, films, and things that make him laugh so hard he thinks he might pass out. He went to Arts University Bournemouth and a career in IT followed. One day, a team of super-skilled kids popped into his head and, writing in a Hollywood apartment, he brought them to life. Peter lives in Dorset, and in his spare time he enjoys collecting unusual artifacts like Neolithic arrowheads, ancient Egyptian rings, and fossilized dinosaur poo.
peterjayblack.com

Editorial Reviews

Robin Hood meets the twenty-first century in Urban Outlaws, a heist story full of action, suspense, surprises, but most importantly, heart.” —Matthew Kirby, author of The Quantum League series and Icefall

“Where's my grappling hook and electronics gear? I'm ready to join Jack, Charlie, Wren, and the rest of the Urban Outlaw gang on their next mission. My youngest son and I spent as much time laughing as we did fighting over Urban Outlaws. We can't wait for the next book.” —J. Scott Savage, author of the Case File 13 and Farworld series

“Heads up, fans of Alex Rider: here's the next thing . . . The gripping plot twists through underground lairs, rooftop break-ins, shadowy government interrogations, and more . . . A fun, fast pick worthy of every middle-grade collection, this may even catch the attention of older reluctant readers.” —School Library Journal

“This debut novel packs in a lot of action that kids will gobble up with gusto . . . . [F]illed with exhilarating drama, clever dialogue, descriptions of cool gadgets, and characters who may be young but who display strong senses of social responsibility. A thrilling tale of a Robin Hood for the iPod generation.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Action-packed . . . A great series opener for middle school readers with lots of action, technology, and character.” —Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

07/01/2014
Gr 5–8—Heads up, fans of Alex Rider: here's the next thing! Five British tweens use their advanced skills in hacking, thievery, and deception to take from the powerful and give to those in need. In this first book of the series, the Urban Outlaws (Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink, and Wren) investigate a villian who uses a supercomputer for nefarious purposes. The gripping plot twists through underground lairs, rooftop break-ins, shadowy government interrogations, and more—almost all at night—with all the fancy tech gadgetry, disguises, and awesomely dangerous athletic skills readers could want. Characters, while distinguished primarily by their independent skills, show off their individual personalities with ready-for-television snappy dialogue. The narrative primarily follows the thoughts of Jack, the mastermind, allowing glimpses into the backstory of these orphans-turned-Merry Men but doesn't get bogged down in set-up or uneccessary description. A fun, fast pick worthy of every middle-grade collection, this may even catch the attention of older reluctant readers.—Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC

School Library Journal

2014-07-29
A group of teenage misfits takes on the world of government conspiracy and digital terrorism in this series opener. Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren are lucky to have one another. Escapees from various types of social service trauma, they've formed a makeshift family that lives under the London streets. They thrive on stealing from the rich, both to fund their independent lifestyle and improve the lives of others through secret donations to nonprofits, and RAKing (performing anonymous Randoms Acts of Kindness). Their harmonious existence is threatened, however, when they discover the whereabouts of the world's only quantum computer, named Proteus, which has the ability to render secrets, barriers and privacy obsolete. The government wants Proteus, as does Del Sarto, a ruthless criminal. Can the Urban Outlaws save the world before they end up in jail—or worse? This debut novel packs in a lot of action that kids will gobble up with gusto. Young readers won't be bothered by the occasional cheesy moment: "Jack wouldn't rest until Proteus was dead." More typical are the many chapters filled with exhilarating drama, clever dialogue, descriptions of cool gadgets, and characters who may be young but who display strong senses of social responsibility. A thrilling tale of a Robin Hood for the iPod generation. (Adventure. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews