The No-Good Nine
-
- $8.99
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
They're mad, they're bad, and they're about to ruin Christmas!
No kids get coal in their stocking these days. Do you know why? It's thanks to The No-Good Nine!
Pittsburgh, 1931. When Peter awakens on Christmas morning to find his stocking full of coal, he is outraged. After he finds the Naughty List, which contains the names of some other children who received no gifts, he decides they should band together and journey to Santa's workshop to plead their case, as well as play with the toys intended for the Nice children. The ragtag band of misfits sets out on a series of wild misadventures as they travel by train, truck, dog sled, and boat, encountering thieves and bootleggers, in order to reach the renowned Toy Factory only to accidentally burn it down. More slapstick capers follow before the No-Good Nine extricate themselves and set out to find their next great adventure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Depression-era Pittsburgh, a "Know-It-All" kid finds a segment of Santa's naughty list, organizes a diverse crew of his listed compatriots, and sets out to petition the end of Christmas coal saving Christmas and unionizing elves along the way. Narrated unreliably by the group's "Liar" ("The secret to making up stuff is to give your stories a hint of truth"), and funded by the wealthy "Brat," the journey progresses with madcap speed as the band of nine (or so the number changes throughout in a running gag) heads to Santa's Workshop by rail, dogsled, and boat. En route to meeting an autocratic, holiday industry obsessed Santa, they flee a Russian truant officer, fall in with gold-toothed rumrunner Mummy Rummy, and begin to move beyond their bad-seed monikers ("Cruel" and "Hooligan" among them). With as many laughs and double-crosses as befits a band of naughty-listers, the tale offers raucous holiday adventuring with a gentle political bent. "Nine for one, and one for nine." Ages 9 12.
