When Dylan wants to impress a girl he likes he buys her a scented candle for her birthday. Whilst over at Beth’s house he lights the candle for her to enjoy as per her request, until the sound of her mum coming up the stairs frightens them and the candle is quickly extinguished and thrown in the waste paper bin to hide any evidence and avoid getting into trouble. When immediately afterwards Beth’s house burns down Dylan assumes that he is to blame, he was the one who bought, lit and disposed of the scented candle after all. So he comes up with a plan to redeem himself, he is going to rob a bank.
Taking the plan extremely seriously, Dylan sets about researching robbing a bank. Some of the research comes in the form of watching classic heist films with his dad who is appreciative of the bonding opportunity, and the rest of it takes place online. All of this ultimately leads to Dylan needing to check out the layout of banks in person, so with the help of his sister he heads to a local branch.
From the very start this book has an upbeat flow, humorous tone and some real laugh out loud moments. Dylan’s plan sounds far fetched from the offset and to begin with my journey along with him was fueled by sympathy, and hope that he isn’t to blame for his friend losing her home, but as the book continued I found myself willing him on, to be successful in his robbery attempt.
How to Rob a Bank is ideal for readers of laugh out loud books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, looking to take their reading to the next level. I have already recommended the title to students in upper ks2 that need books with more depth, enjoy a reading challenge, and enjoy books with humour at the centre of the story. This felt like a feel good read, making me smile and laugh throughout and leaving me with warm and fuzzies at the end.
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