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Dangerous Deception
Award-winning author Peg Kehret returns with a suspenseful thriller for middle graders!
Peg Kehret includes humor, animal rescue, and heart-pounding suspense in this story about good intentions gone wrong. Sixth-grader Emmy Rushford decides to provide food for a needy family, but the project turns perilous when Emmy must deal with a car crash, a cat thrown into a Dumpster, and a belligerent neighbor. Then she discovers an apartment full of stolen goods. Her courageous efforts to help hungry children, rescue the cat, and break up a ring of thieves soon put her life at risk.
Peg Kehret includes humor, animal rescue, and heart-pounding suspense in this story about good intentions gone wrong. Sixth-grader Emmy Rushford decides to provide food for a needy family, but the project turns perilous when Emmy must deal with a car crash, a cat thrown into a Dumpster, and a belligerent neighbor. Then she discovers an apartment full of stolen goods. Her courageous efforts to help hungry children, rescue the cat, and break up a ring of thieves soon put her life at risk.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
7 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Peg Kehret
80 books641 followersPeg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 37 reviews
May 4, 2024
A sixth grade girl learns that no good deed goes unpunished when she tries to help some homeless folks and finds herself the target of a thief.
This kid is no Nancy Drew, is all I can say.
This kid is no Nancy Drew, is all I can say.
December 5, 2016
This is the first book by Peg Kehret that I've read--her Stolen Children is pretty popular in my middle school library fiction section. Unfortunatlely, I just did not enjoy this one...for several reasons.
First, the plot felt extremely unfocused...I still don't know what the story was really supposed to be about. Helping the hungry? Solving a crime? There were too many subplots and not enough development. Secondly, our narrator is a 6th-grade girl--so we're talking 11 or 12 years old--but she DOES NOT read that way. I teach 6th graders. They are biologically egocentric, and while many of them are caring and would definitely go out of the way to help others, there's no way they do all the things Emmy does without the help of adults: . Maybe I'm wrong and a kid would do all that...but I felt like it was a stretch. (And yes...I know it's fiction...but come on.)
Finally, I was a little annoyed by a couple of subplots that seemed like PSA announcements for childhood obesity and texting-while-driving. I know as an adult I should be all, "Yay! Look at this author hiding important messages in her work! Bravo!" But as a reader, I was annoyed--mostly because they do absolutely nothing to further the plot. I'm all for books that address important issues, but I'd rather they are addressed directly as an important part of the story and not just like, "Mwahaha! I put vegetables in this lasagna and you didn't even know it!"
First, the plot felt extremely unfocused...I still don't know what the story was really supposed to be about. Helping the hungry? Solving a crime? There were too many subplots and not enough development. Secondly, our narrator is a 6th-grade girl--so we're talking 11 or 12 years old--but she DOES NOT read that way. I teach 6th graders. They are biologically egocentric, and while many of them are caring and would definitely go out of the way to help others, there's no way they do all the things Emmy does without the help of adults: . Maybe I'm wrong and a kid would do all that...but I felt like it was a stretch. (And yes...I know it's fiction...but come on.)
Finally, I was a little annoyed by a couple of subplots that seemed like PSA announcements for childhood obesity and texting-while-driving. I know as an adult I should be all, "Yay! Look at this author hiding important messages in her work! Bravo!" But as a reader, I was annoyed--mostly because they do absolutely nothing to further the plot. I'm all for books that address important issues, but I'd rather they are addressed directly as an important part of the story and not just like, "Mwahaha! I put vegetables in this lasagna and you didn't even know it!"
October 12, 2016
This book is about a girl who goes on a dangerous adventure that threatens her life. She reads a letter sent to her mom's job that saying that she and her family is in need of food. Emmy, the reader of the letter, just happens to have a class project that requires community service work. What started out as an innocent project to help a family turns deadly when the family vanishes and Emmy investigates.
My favorite character was Emmy because she expressed independence and bravery. She also had quick thinking skills and is smart about what to do in perilous situation. The characters seemed real because there are people like some of the characters at my school and there is crime almost everywhere. The story kept me guessing. My favorite part was when Emmy smuggled the cat on the bus and she tried to hide it because imagining something like getting scratches on your belly from a cat seems hilarious. There was one or two sad scenes, but the story mostly had mysterious scenes. The book didn't make me cry, but there was a chuckle here and there. The book really had my attention, so I had to keep turning the pages in order to know what would happen next.
I wish that the book didn't end as dull as it did, but it was still a nice ending. People who would like this book are people interested in mild suspense and short novels. This will appeal the most to young readers, but it's still suitable for all ages.
My favorite character was Emmy because she expressed independence and bravery. She also had quick thinking skills and is smart about what to do in perilous situation. The characters seemed real because there are people like some of the characters at my school and there is crime almost everywhere. The story kept me guessing. My favorite part was when Emmy smuggled the cat on the bus and she tried to hide it because imagining something like getting scratches on your belly from a cat seems hilarious. There was one or two sad scenes, but the story mostly had mysterious scenes. The book didn't make me cry, but there was a chuckle here and there. The book really had my attention, so I had to keep turning the pages in order to know what would happen next.
I wish that the book didn't end as dull as it did, but it was still a nice ending. People who would like this book are people interested in mild suspense and short novels. This will appeal the most to young readers, but it's still suitable for all ages.
February 2, 2016
To make a long story short, Emmy attempts a really good thing, feeding a hungry family, by making lots and lots of bad choices. She goes behind her mother's back to help the family so that her mother doesn't lose her job for confidentiality reasons involving the family. Then we have her riding in cars with teenagers, riding the bus unattended, catching a burglar, being kidnapped by a burglar, etc. It was just a whole laundry list of terrible things, luckily my 11 year old didn't see it as any sort of reality. And, now I must step back on to my soap box.
AUTHORS - STOP USING THE WEIGHT OF A GIRL AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY. This paragraph is on the 8th page of the book:
The thing is, I know I weigh more than I should. I know my thighs are flabby and my butt's too big. I don't need Mom or anybody else to point it out to me. I can see myself in the mirror and, one of these days, I plan to get in shape, but I'll do it when I decide I want to, not because somebody else doesn't like the way I look. I wish the media would quit telling us about the obesity epidemic of America's children. I am not obese, but because of all the hype, my parents are afraid I will be.
SERIOUSLY?!? Then, mention is made of her mom trying to sneak broccoli into everything and encouraging her to make healthier choices, so then she goes to buy treats at the local convenience store that she hides in her room. She gives away all of her snacks to the family and once she eats less sugar she feels so much better and she can even tell she's lost some weight. Really, I didn't need this whole weight story line to justify her giving some treats to a hungry family in her community. And, I don't need my daughter reading this book questioning if her thighs are flabby or her butt is too big or if she should be eating a cookie. I'm saying this as a parent who wants my kids to be healthy. I do my best to teach them healthy eating habits. I encourage them to be active. But, I don't want my daughters to become middle graders who are obsessed with their weight and specific body parts and refuse to eat dessert because it might make them "fat". I want them to be active and healthy and feel strong and eat cookies sometimes because they're delicious! And, I want them to read books where the girls are smart and strong and do cool things that make absolutely no mention of their weight!
AUTHORS - STOP USING THE WEIGHT OF A GIRL AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY. This paragraph is on the 8th page of the book:
The thing is, I know I weigh more than I should. I know my thighs are flabby and my butt's too big. I don't need Mom or anybody else to point it out to me. I can see myself in the mirror and, one of these days, I plan to get in shape, but I'll do it when I decide I want to, not because somebody else doesn't like the way I look. I wish the media would quit telling us about the obesity epidemic of America's children. I am not obese, but because of all the hype, my parents are afraid I will be.
SERIOUSLY?!? Then, mention is made of her mom trying to sneak broccoli into everything and encouraging her to make healthier choices, so then she goes to buy treats at the local convenience store that she hides in her room. She gives away all of her snacks to the family and once she eats less sugar she feels so much better and she can even tell she's lost some weight. Really, I didn't need this whole weight story line to justify her giving some treats to a hungry family in her community. And, I don't need my daughter reading this book questioning if her thighs are flabby or her butt is too big or if she should be eating a cookie. I'm saying this as a parent who wants my kids to be healthy. I do my best to teach them healthy eating habits. I encourage them to be active. But, I don't want my daughters to become middle graders who are obsessed with their weight and specific body parts and refuse to eat dessert because it might make them "fat". I want them to be active and healthy and feel strong and eat cookies sometimes because they're delicious! And, I want them to read books where the girls are smart and strong and do cool things that make absolutely no mention of their weight!
February 18, 2016
Dangerous Deception is a new book from well-loved author Peg Kehret. I believe that this book fits in the diversity set because of its ability to create understanding for the plight of children in need. Kindhearted Emmy discovers a young girl’s request for food. The girl wrote the letter because her Mother is ill and the family doesn’t have enough food to eat. Emmy and her friends start a community service project to help the family. The story turns into a mystery when the family disappears and Emmy gets involved in more troubles during the search.
I feel that students who don’t understand how other students might not have enough food or proper housing could benefit from the understanding that this book provides. This is an ongoing issue in some schools. The students that are in that kind of need would enjoy it because; it isn’t a story that makes them an object of pity. The young girl, Sophie that Emmy befriends is strong and is not written in a way that makes the reader feel sorry for her. You feel bad that she is in the situation, but the family is not a stereotype.
This has a strong text-life connection for me, because in our school we have many students that are involved in the backpack program. This is a program that sends food home with students on the weekends to make sure they have enough food to eat. Some of our students that aren’t involved in this program ask a lot of questions about the food they see being delivered into lockers. I think this book would help them understand what some of their friend’s lives might be like at home.
Questions:
Remembering-
Can you name the other students, besides Emmy that were involved in the service project?
Understanding-
Can you clarify how Sophie’s family ended up in the situation they found themselves?
Applying-
What questions would you ask Jellybean about his family, to see if he is in a similar situation to Sophie?
Analyzing-
What other possible outcomes can you see for Sophie’s family? What about Emmy’s situation? What other outcomes were possible?
Evaluating-
How would you have handled having “No Good” follow you home?
Creating-
Devise your own plan to help a family in need. What kinds of things could you do?
I feel that students who don’t understand how other students might not have enough food or proper housing could benefit from the understanding that this book provides. This is an ongoing issue in some schools. The students that are in that kind of need would enjoy it because; it isn’t a story that makes them an object of pity. The young girl, Sophie that Emmy befriends is strong and is not written in a way that makes the reader feel sorry for her. You feel bad that she is in the situation, but the family is not a stereotype.
This has a strong text-life connection for me, because in our school we have many students that are involved in the backpack program. This is a program that sends food home with students on the weekends to make sure they have enough food to eat. Some of our students that aren’t involved in this program ask a lot of questions about the food they see being delivered into lockers. I think this book would help them understand what some of their friend’s lives might be like at home.
Questions:
Remembering-
Can you name the other students, besides Emmy that were involved in the service project?
Understanding-
Can you clarify how Sophie’s family ended up in the situation they found themselves?
Applying-
What questions would you ask Jellybean about his family, to see if he is in a similar situation to Sophie?
Analyzing-
What other possible outcomes can you see for Sophie’s family? What about Emmy’s situation? What other outcomes were possible?
Evaluating-
How would you have handled having “No Good” follow you home?
Creating-
Devise your own plan to help a family in need. What kinds of things could you do?
January 1, 2015
In 1972, the American Broadcasting Company coined the phrase “after school special” when it started showing made-for-TV movies featuring kids and teenagers, dealing with controversial themes relevant to young people at the time. In time, they also became synonymous with bad acting, simplistic and conservative views, and unrealistic writing. Often the butt of jokes, at the end of their run in 1997, they had also won 51 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Today, those shows would never see the light of day. Or night. Except perhaps on Lifetime, or maybe Comedy Central.
“Dangerous Deception” would make a great after school special.
Yes, it is a quick read. Yes, it is about a sixth-grade girl (Emmy) who takes it upon herself to help a family in need, and runs into trouble along the way, because, of course, said family lives in a run-down part of town where criminals live right next door. In fact, there is even a sub-plot, because when Emmy starts collecting food for the hungry, she donates the contents of her junk food drawer, begins to discover she can forgo her unhealthy snacks, and changes her eating habits to include salads and exclude milkshakes – consequently losing a bit of weight and appearing healthier to family members. How perfect.
I felt a little deceived, I must say, on the title. “Dangerous Deception” sounds gritty, scary – like real lies are causing tense situations all through the story. Instead, it’s more like, Emmy doesn’t tell her mom that she is riding the bus across town to deliver groceries, coming back home, eating a salad, going to bed, and traipsing off to school again in the morning. Suggestions for better titles might include “Finding Sophie” or “Saving Sophie” or “Class Project Causes Commotion.”
Some might say that I am not in touch with what reluctant readers might actually enjoy reading, and certainly I am not against that. Still, celebrating mediocrity is a big problem for me, and in that regard, I leave “Dangerous Deception” at the bottom of the pile.
Today, those shows would never see the light of day. Or night. Except perhaps on Lifetime, or maybe Comedy Central.
“Dangerous Deception” would make a great after school special.
Yes, it is a quick read. Yes, it is about a sixth-grade girl (Emmy) who takes it upon herself to help a family in need, and runs into trouble along the way, because, of course, said family lives in a run-down part of town where criminals live right next door. In fact, there is even a sub-plot, because when Emmy starts collecting food for the hungry, she donates the contents of her junk food drawer, begins to discover she can forgo her unhealthy snacks, and changes her eating habits to include salads and exclude milkshakes – consequently losing a bit of weight and appearing healthier to family members. How perfect.
I felt a little deceived, I must say, on the title. “Dangerous Deception” sounds gritty, scary – like real lies are causing tense situations all through the story. Instead, it’s more like, Emmy doesn’t tell her mom that she is riding the bus across town to deliver groceries, coming back home, eating a salad, going to bed, and traipsing off to school again in the morning. Suggestions for better titles might include “Finding Sophie” or “Saving Sophie” or “Class Project Causes Commotion.”
Some might say that I am not in touch with what reluctant readers might actually enjoy reading, and certainly I am not against that. Still, celebrating mediocrity is a big problem for me, and in that regard, I leave “Dangerous Deception” at the bottom of the pile.
December 18, 2014
In this book, a girl is trying to help a girl who's family is hungry, but the area of town she is in is where a lot of crime happens. She ends up risking here life when she is trying to solve a case of robbery. Fortunately it all ends well and everyone is safe and happy at home. I really enjoy reading books lime this because I can use the ideas for a real life situation, even though they are most likely not to occur.
I really liked this book because it had a lot of suspense and bravery I could never have. I just couldn't put the book down and my heart would start beating faster because it really was a dangerous sitiuation that the main character was in. I really loved how the author would switch piont of views of what the mom and main character were going through. It was as if your right next to the character but you were invisible, and you just stand there with your mouth hanging open. One thing the author lacked in a few parts of the story was giving a clear decription of things, but that is probably the only thing I disliked about this book.
This book was reccomended to me by Mrs.Pelt, and I'm very glad she did. I would reccommend this for tweens because the amount of crime in it, and it would probably be to boring for older kids but to complex for younger kids.
I really liked this book because it had a lot of suspense and bravery I could never have. I just couldn't put the book down and my heart would start beating faster because it really was a dangerous sitiuation that the main character was in. I really loved how the author would switch piont of views of what the mom and main character were going through. It was as if your right next to the character but you were invisible, and you just stand there with your mouth hanging open. One thing the author lacked in a few parts of the story was giving a clear decription of things, but that is probably the only thing I disliked about this book.
This book was reccomended to me by Mrs.Pelt, and I'm very glad she did. I would reccommend this for tweens because the amount of crime in it, and it would probably be to boring for older kids but to complex for younger kids.
July 6, 2017
"I only intended to help two children who were hungry and had no money for food. That's an admirable goal for a sixth grade girl, isn't it?"
Emmy reads a contest entry and becomes focused on helping a family in need. She recruits classmates to make it their service project. Sounds like a good thing, right? But she keeps this information from her mother and father because she's not supposed to be helping this family. It's a violation of contest rules. But she just had to do something. When she meets Sophie, the girl who wrote the letter, she becomes even more involved. Sophie's mom is sick and can't go to the food pantry. So, even after her classmates call it quits, Emmy and her friend Lauren continue making food deliveries. Even when Sophie's family disappears, Emmy continues to try and help. She finds their cat, Midnight, in a dumpster and rescues it. She just knows the seedy neighbor, the one they call No Help, did that to Midnight. That starts a chain of events that gets Emmy mixed up with a burglary ring and pretty soon, her life is in danger.
Students will enjoy the action and suspense. There were just some plot elements that didn't sit well with me. Too many convenient "outs" for a girl who is making some very dangerous decisions.
Emmy reads a contest entry and becomes focused on helping a family in need. She recruits classmates to make it their service project. Sounds like a good thing, right? But she keeps this information from her mother and father because she's not supposed to be helping this family. It's a violation of contest rules. But she just had to do something. When she meets Sophie, the girl who wrote the letter, she becomes even more involved. Sophie's mom is sick and can't go to the food pantry. So, even after her classmates call it quits, Emmy and her friend Lauren continue making food deliveries. Even when Sophie's family disappears, Emmy continues to try and help. She finds their cat, Midnight, in a dumpster and rescues it. She just knows the seedy neighbor, the one they call No Help, did that to Midnight. That starts a chain of events that gets Emmy mixed up with a burglary ring and pretty soon, her life is in danger.
Students will enjoy the action and suspense. There were just some plot elements that didn't sit well with me. Too many convenient "outs" for a girl who is making some very dangerous decisions.
December 30, 2014
Emmy Rushford takes action. When she discovers that a young girl and her sister are going hungry each night, she takes matters into her own hands and helps get food delivered to them. It's a wonderful thing, but Emmy knows one food delivery is not going to help this girl and her family out. She determines to continue to help but she ends up being abducted and left tied up in an abandoned apartment filling with water! As an adult, it was difficult to read as Emmy took careless risks, but the author did a good job of showing how little decisions can escalate into dangerous ones.
The story is fast-paced and full of action. I felt the scenarios were true to life and presented great talking points about many topics including hunger, decision-making, and safety.
The story is fast-paced and full of action. I felt the scenarios were true to life and presented great talking points about many topics including hunger, decision-making, and safety.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2015
This realistic fiction WAW possibility was better because even though Emmy makes some poor choices, she is a nice girl, in fact she gets into trouble because she cares so much about helping another girl. Emmy's mom is in charge of the contest at her department store and brings home letters people entered to win. Emmy reads some and wants to help a girl who wrote in asking for food. So Emmy uses this as her class project even though her mom can't help due to store rules. So Emmy keeps it a secret from her mom which proves to be a mistake.Emmy does help Sophie but meets Sophie's neighbor who turns out to be a burglar and kidnaps Emmy so she can't turn him in. This is a yes vote for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2016
Emmy convinces her 6th grade group to adopt an unknown family for their community service project. Emmy's mom works at a department story that is holding a "Make Your Dunbar's Dream Come True" contest and Emmy read a note about a family who's kids go to bed hungry. Emmy's mom could get fired if the store found out their project so the students promise not to tell their parents. Emmy knows that she and her friends are doing a good deed but she finds herself in a lot of situations that her parents wouldn't approve of. Another great Peg Kehret story!
December 28, 2017
The protagonist, Emmy, had good intentions to help a needy family. She deceives her mom throughout the book, and makes one poor choice after another. There is a decent amount of action, and some of the issues or concerns Emmy has are ones my own students might experience. However, I’m just not sure the way Emmy deals with her desire to help a needy family is the best model for fourth graders. The character development is shallow, the ending is “meh,” and the cover leaves a lot to be desired.
November 14, 2014
A great read for middle grade kids. It's full of deception (Emmy keeps things from her mother), danger (almost everything Emmy does is dangerous)and current news. The story moves quickly, and includes pet welfare, hunger, sick relatives and other issues a middle school student might experience. I highly recommend this book and others by Peg Kehret. She knows how to entertain.
July 30, 2017
Peg Kehret knows how to write engaging stories for middle grade. Dangerous Deception is no exception. The story is plausible. The relationship between Emmy and her mom was so realistic. The suspense took a while to build, but Peg is the master of prolonging the suspense with credible circumstances. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Peg Kehret book without pets!
July 9, 2015
I liked how Emmy was so compelled to help someone in need, and toward the end it got pretty exciting. I’m not sure why it was so hard to get through, though. I thought the language seemed stiff and the phrasing and vocabulary too old for the intended audience at times. And I'm not a fan of the cover, neither her face nor the fact that she’s supposed to be overweight but isn’t on the cover.
November 16, 2014
This story has some edge-of-your-seat moments, good overall. Emmy does some very adventuresome things for such a young girl. It makes for an exciting story but in reality I cannot imagine someone so young doing all the things that Emmy does - almost like Nancy Drew!
March 8, 2015
Classic Peg Kehret doing what she does best - writing suspenseful books kids love. It's not literary but she writes plainly, making it accessible to a wider audience. (Ha! I just skimmed a bunch of the other Good Reads reviews on this book and "classic Peg Kehret" appears in a bunch of them ;)
September 13, 2015
Emmy just wants to do a good deed for a family, but she ends up involved in more than just a good deed when a burglar thinks that she is on to him, her friend's brother crashes his car (right after Emmy gets out), and more. She never dreamed that her sixth grade project could be so dangerous.
December 22, 2016
Emmy makes a TON of poor decisions in this. It's got lots of action and suspense, but I'm not sure what the focus is. There's a lot covered.....texting and driving, people not getting enough food, crime, cruelty to animals, etc.
January 7, 2017
Although it seems like this would be a good choice for reluctant readers, for me it sends a mixed message about deceiving your parents, doing stupid (and dangerous) things, but everything turns out all right. So all right that it comes across very young.
May 30, 2014
Can I just say this must be the most over-used book title ever? 54 results on goodreads!
Anyway.
Review to come for SLJ.
Anyway.
Review to come for SLJ.
November 30, 2014
Dangerous Deception is classic Peg Kehret, with kids, pets, and adventure. I have a group of middle grade readers who adore her books, and I am sure many will enjoy this one as well.
January 5, 2015
The title says it all...when Emmy is less than truthful with her mom when trying to help a needy child, her deception turns dangerous. Peg Kehret is always a sure bet in my book!
March 21, 2015
What a cute little middle grade mystery! Nancy Drew with a cell phone. I can see a strong market for this. Not super complicated or intricate but a fun read.
March 27, 2015
This was a really good book. I finished this book in about 3 days it was that good. I wish they made another book just like this one. Just a heads up my favorite of all time is Peg Kehret.
Want to read
September 12, 2015(16-17: I-0, II-1, III-1)
November 22, 2015
What starts as Emmy's community service project turns into more when she takes it on herself. She ends up embroiled in a crime ring and searching for a missing girl.
December 27, 2015
In this book Emmy tries to help others, but not in the right way. It teaches children about people in the world.
October 30, 2018
A bit slow at the beginning, but an exciting and suspenseful ending. Peg Kehret is a great writer for reluctant, younger, and struggling readers.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 37 reviews