THE QUICK FIX

The latest case from Matt Stevens, the lone voice for justice in a morass of middle school corruption.

When the star of the basketball team is blackmailed, it’s up to Matt to figure out who’s behind the scheme. Is it eighth-grade crime lord Vinny “Mr. Biggs” Biggio, who has made his name peddling forged hall passes and leading a crew of social assassins who send enemies to the Outs with a humiliating squirt-gun blast below the belt? Or is it his lieutenant and Matt’s former best friend, Kevin? Or a pair of scheming twins who sell Pixy Stix to sugar-addicted classmates? One thing’s for sure: There won’t be a quick fix for the trouble at this middle school. Jack D. Ferraiolo is the author of The Big Splash and Sidekicks. As the head of development at a children’s animation production company, he co-created and writes for WordGirl on PBS, for which he won an Emmy Award. He lives in northern Massachusetts. Visit him online at