Busted by Dan Gemeinhart
The cover of children’s book author Dan Gemeinhart’s latest book for middle grade readers, “Busted,” shows a boy, a girl, an old man and a hairless cat in a classic car being chased by a cop car while dollar bills fly out the window. That alone should be enough to entice even reluctant fourth- to sixth-grade readers to crack it open.
Then there are the first few lines: “I’m 12 years old, and this is the 49th funeral I’ve been to. If you’re thinking that a fella would get used to the whole thing after that many, you’d be right on the money. Here’s the deal: Funerals are pretty much like green bean casseroles — you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. I’ve seen plenty of both. And, honestly, I prefer the funerals.”
So begins the tale of Oscar Aberdeen, lifelong (and youngest) resident of Sunny Days Retirement Community, where he lives with his grandfather. He’s got a heart of gold, a deep love for Frank Sinatra and a snazzy black suit for whenever he needs to deliver a eulogy. Oscar is a goody two-shoes, but when the new owner of Sunny Days Retirement Community raises the rent and threatens eviction, Oscar must push through his straight-laced tendencies to “do the good thing,” not just the right thing.
When bona fide geezer and rumored ex-mobster Jimmy Deluca offers Oscar a money-making opportunity “too good to refuse,” Oscar finds himself busting the oldster out of the retirement facility for an adventure-filled day checking off his bucket list. Along for the ride: gum-cracking redhead Natasha and Jimmy Deluca’s beloved cat, Mr. Buttercup. They break into illegal poker games and tattoo parlors, and have run-ins with a whole host of unsavory characters. Along the way, the unlikely trio learn the importance of “squeezing the orange”: living life to the fullest, and of taking care of friends and family.
Readers will pick up a boatload of colorful vocabulary — like “fugeddaboutit,” “doozy” and “humdinger,” and some choice phrases, like “That guy is bad news,” and “There’ll be plenty of time for resting when I’m dead!” They’ll snicker at the effects of mayonnaise-based salads on the octogenarian set. They’ll also be rooting for Oscar and his newfound pals as they careen from one hairy situation to the next.
Gemeinhart, a former teacher-librarian from Cashmere, Chelan County, visited Whatcom County this month and met with students at Blaine Middle School, Vista Middle School and the Juvenile Detention Center.
He also spoke with teachers and school librarians from across Whatcom County to celebrate Whatcom County Library System’s ConnectED program, which provides library accounts to every K-12 student countywide. His visit was sponsored by the Whatcom County Library Foundation. Clock hours for local educators were coordinated by Western Washington University.
In addition to “Busted,” don’t miss Gemeinhart’s emotional page-turner “Some Kind of Courage,” a Western set in 1890s Washington. His debut novel, “The Honest Truth,” is about a boy with cancer who runs away from home on a quest to climb Mount Rainier. Gemeinhart’s books are excellent read-alouds — just be sure to have some tissues on hand.
Christine Perkins is executive director of the Whatcom County Library System, wcls.org.
(Originally published in Cascadia Daily News, Friday, December 12, 2025.)