At first the Bandit went for the chrome bits. The little Holden emblem on the bonnet went. Then the rear-view mirrors were twisted into interesting shapes, and anything else that took the crazy bird’s fancy disappeared. Beats me how he got some of those things off. He must have had a beak like a can opener, I reckon.
When Dad sees his dream car – a classic FJ Holden – for sale at the side of the road, he has to buy it. But when the car is brought home, a new resident also appears in the street – a demented crow. The bird seems to have it in for Dad’s car and Simon and his brothers are dragged into Dad’s schemes to beat the crow and stop the damage. Simon wants to find out why the crow is so angry, before Dad goes completely crazy.
The Black Bandit is a humorous tale with plenty of silly episodes, a mystery and some surprise twists as Simon stumbles upon a car stealing racket run by a group of pensioners. It is likely to appeal to readers aged 9 to 12.
The Black Bandit, by Jenny Mounfield
Lothian, 2006