A Gangster Stole My Trunks by Tom Vaughan (author) and Nathan Reed (illustrator)

‘A hilarious adventure with heart for fans of The Worst Holiday Ever and Gangsta Granny featuring a gorgeous intergenerational relationship between a boy and his granddad … Brought to life with fabulous illustrations throughout – this package will delight readers’ LoveReading4Kids One boy’s mission to take down a team of super-villains … with the help of his boring, dishcloth-selling grandad? When Jesse’s grandad wins tickets to a retirement cruise and offers to bring Jesse along, Jesse is not exactly thrilled. A boat load of old age pensioners?! No thanks. Not to mention that he’s pretty sure his parents are going to be talking about a D.I.V.O.R.C.E. while he’s safely out of the way. But from the moment the pair arrive on the cruise ship, it’s a different story. Mysterious cat burglars, crime lords and smugglers all seem to be on board … and odder than that, Gramps knows them all! When an attempted murder occurs, Jesse decides it’s time to find out what they’re hiding, and catch the villain responsible. But Gramps might be hiding the biggest secret of all … can Jesse unravel the mystery, before time runs out?

A hilarious adventure with heart for fans of The Worst Holiday Ever and Gangsta Granny
Featuring a gorgeous intergenerational relationship between a boy and his grandad, who is determined to reconnect with his family before illness intervenes
Brought to life with fabulous illustrations throughout – this package will delight readers.

Our July 2022 Ages 7-8 Book of the Month

Our book of the month for children aged 7 and over is A Gangster Stole My Trunks. This is perfect for young readers who are fans of silly stories such as Gangsta Granny and Sleepover Takeover. The story follows Jesse who finds himself on a boring, retirement cruise with his boring, dish-cloth selling granddad. Or so he thought…

From the moment Jesse arrives on the cruise, there are mysterious cat burglars, crime lords and smugglers surrounding him! Then, when there is an attempted murder, Jesse goes on a mission to find out what all these old age pensioners are hiding and to catch the villain. But Gramps is also hiding a secret, so can Jesse figure everything out before time runs out?

A Gangster Stole My Trunks is a hilarious and also heart-warming story that features important themes such as intergenerational relationships and family struggles such as divorce – it is a great tool to encourage conversations about these topics with children. This is also perfect book for encouraging reluctant readers as it is illustrated without and has a plot with full of mysteries, bombshells and silliness to keep them engaged.