The Big Splash

Awards and praise for
THE BIG SPLASH

A 2009 EDGAR AWARD NOMINATION

“Jack Ferraiolo shines a light on middle school and reveals what we've always suspected: it's a sinister place ruled by crime bosses and thugs.
The Big Splash
will make you laugh out loud.”—Jeff Kinney, #1
New York Times
bestselling author of
Diary of a Wimpy Kid

“A first novel with an ingenious premise: junior high noir … Twists and curve balls keep readers guessing; extended jokes will keep them laughing. With crisp prose and surprisingly poignant moments, Ferraiolo's debut entertains on many levels.”—
Publishers Weekly
, starred review

“Ferraiolo weaves a tale that is thought-provoking and rib-tickling all at the same time. Highly recommended.”—
Library Media Connection
, starred review

“Entertaining and thrilling”—
New York Times

“Matt Stevens may turn out to be a bankable franchise: His first-person present-tense narration carries in it echoes of Marlowe, and the simple plot makes some crafty twists and turns as it goes along.”—
Kirkus

“Ferraiolo cleverly interweaves Mafia undertones with Middle School social dynamics in this comical yet page-turning novel. Young adult mystery enthusiasts will love the unmasking of this new sleuth in literature.”—
ALAN

“This fabulous mystery will have teens racing to get to the last page … A great whodunit mystery lovers are sure to consume.”—
VOYA

“Well paced, funny, and suspenseful, with some real commentary on bullying and mob mentality, this book will have fans eagerly awaiting the next installment in this faux noir detective series.”—
School Library Journal

“Move over Bogart; now there's hard-boiled private detective Matt Stevens on the job at Franklin Middle School … You could call this genre kid noir.”—“Sure Shot Books for Boys” list on
readkiddoread.com

“Ferraiolo shines in this debut novel, working the noir tropes for all they're worth … The mystery itself is cagily constructed to keep readers guessing pretty much 'til the last bell.”—
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“If middle school has an ‘underworld,' this book is
The Godfather
and
The Maltese Falcon
all rolled into one. Better still, it's funny, and not just a little.”—Gordon Korman, author of
Born to Rock

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Ferraiolo, Jack D.
The big splash / by Jack D. Ferraiolo.
p. cm.
Summary: Matt Stevens, an average middle schooler with a glib tongue and a knack for solving
crimes, uncovers a mystery while working with “the organization,” a mafia-like syndicate run by
seventh-grader Vincent “Mr. Biggs” Biggio, specializing in forged hall passes,
test-copying rings, black market candy selling, and taking out hits with water guns.
ISBN 978-0-8109-7067-0 (harry n. abrams : alk. paper)
[1. Junior high schools—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Mystery and detective stories.
4. Humorous stories.] I. Title.
PZ7.F3637Bi 2008
[Fic]—dc22
2007049978

Paperback ISBN 978-0-8109-9712-7

Text copyright © 2008 Jack D. Ferraiolo

Book design by Chad W. Beckerman

Originally published in hardcover in 2008 by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. Paperback edition published in 2011. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Amulet Books and Amulet Paperbacks are registered trademarks of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Amulet Books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact [email protected] or the address below.

www.abramsbooks.com

approached me as I made my way into the caf for lunch. He was small and wiry, with a face that would've been more at home on a rodent. His jaw moved slowly and with great purpose as it worked over a piece of fruit gum, the kind that gave off a sickeningly sweet smell but lost its flavor after three chews. His name was Joey Renoni, a.k.a. “the Hyena,” and I knew who he worked for.