BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSGriffin Bing is an eleven-year-old in Cedarville, New York, who is known among his friends as The Man With The Plan. When his father quits his engineering job to develop a fruit-picking invention called the SmartPick, the family starts falling behind on their bills and talks of selling their house. One night, Griffin and his best friend Ben break into a condemned building before its demolition and Griffin discovers an old Babe Ruth baseball card in a hidden desk drawer. He takes it to the local collectibles shop, where the slippery owner S. Wendell Palomino convinces him the card is a worthless reproduction and pays him only $120. Griffin later sees Palomino on the news, bragging that the card is a rare original worth up to a million dollars, and sets out to get it back.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Swindle
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Swindle. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book do two boys wake up inside a building just as a wrecking ball smashes into it?
✓ Answer
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Griffin and Ben oversleep in the condemned Rockford house and wake to the roar of the crane. Griffin gets stuck halfway out a boarded-up window and the wrecking ball's impact shakes him free. They barely escape before the house comes down.
- First half
In what book does a boy hide inside a TV crate to be delivered into a locked store?
✓ Answer
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Griffin wheels a large crate labeled Personal and Confidential to Palomino's Emporium, with Ben curled up inside like a modern Trojan horse. The assistant manager drags it into the store and locks up, leaving Ben hidden inside to disable the alarm after closing.
- First half
In what book are secret meeting invitations printed on bright green paper and slipped through locker vents?
✓ Answer
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Griffin recruits his heist team by placing folded green notes in specific classmates' lockers. Each note says the recipient has been chosen for their special skills and promises the opportunity will be worth their while, with dollar signs for emphasis.
- Second half
In what book does an old man refuse to reach into a package because Styrofoam peanuts stick to his hands?
✓ Answer
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Mr. Mulroney opens the fake package Logan delivered and hundreds of Styrofoam peanuts scatter across his porch. He refuses to reach inside because the peanuts stick to your hand and you can't shake them off.
- Second half
In what book does a Doberman tackle a German shepherd in midair to protect a girl?
✓ Answer
Swindle by Gordon Korman
When the German shepherd breaks loose and leaps at Savannah, Luthor flings himself into the attack dog's path. The two dogs meet in midair and crash to the floor, wrestling and snarling, giving the team time to escape downstairs.
- Near the end
In what book does a boy falling from a tree crash through a window and set off a house alarm?
✓ Answer
Swindle by Gordon Korman
Darren's tree branch snaps and swings toward the house, slamming him through a downstairs window. The shattering glass triggers the UltraTech alarm system, and its earsplitting wail blasts through the entire neighborhood.
