Urban Outlaws

by Peter Jay Black

Overview

In a bunker hidden deep beneath London live five extraordinary kids: meet world-famous hacker Jack, gadget geek Charlie, free runner Slink, comms chief Obi and decoy diva Wren. They're not just friends; they're URBAN OUTLAWS. They outsmart London's crime gangs and hand out their dirty money through Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.s).

Their latest mission – hacking the bank account of criminal mastermind Del Sarto – has landed them in serious trouble. Del Sarto is going head-to-head with MI5 for control of Proteus, an advanced quantum computer able to crack any code and steal top-secret documents in nanoseconds. It's down to the URBAN OUTLAWS to use their guile, guts and skill to destroy Proteus, avert world domination . . . and stay alive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619634015
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/07/2014
Series:	Charles Reasoner Halloween Books
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

After spending most of his school years daydreaming, Peter Jay Black went to Arts University Bournemouth. A career in IT followed. His brilliant imagination never left him though and, one day, when a team of super-skilled kids popped into his head and showed him their hideout – a WWII bunker hidden under London – he knew he had to write about their adventures. And so the URBAN OUTLAWS were born. Peter is a self-confessed gadget geek and lives in Dorset.
peterjayblack.com

Editorial Reviews

Five orphaned teens, better known as the Urban Outlaws, come together to solve the most impossible crimes. Secretly living underground in an old World War II bunker in London, the brilliant Outlaws can outwit any criminal. Jack, the lead programmer who can crack codes in a matter of seconds, is put to the test when Obi discovers Proteus, a quantum super computer, in an abandoned warehouse near their bunker that is guarded by secret agents. Proteus enables the user to hack into any device and steal whatever secrets it holds, including the most important secrets guarded by all governments. After gaining access to Proteus, Jack discovers a virus on Proteus that will not let the quantum computer run efficiently. After removing the virus, Proteus is up and running at full capacity, and the virus moves on to find a bigger and better source of information. The Secret Agents then move the computer system to a new, secret location. Jack and his friends must figure out how to access Proteus again, stop Proteus from gaining all secrets from around the world, and stop the virus from spreading. This book is fast paced with twists and turns in every chapter. Do not let the computer lingo get you; all types of readers will enjoy this book. The five teens have become a family and bonded together to finish even the toughest jobs. Each teen has a specific role to play when it comes to completing the missions. Reviewer: Allison Mitchell; Ages 10 to 14.

Children's Literature - Allison Mitchell

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

“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