APPENDIX B:
* * *
GO INCOGNITO
Things You’ll Need:
• Rubber band
• Hat
• Scarf or sweater
• Glasses
• Cotton balls
What to Do:
» CHANGE your hairstyle for a quick and easy transformation. Even something as simple as putting your hair into a ponytail—or covering it up with a hat—can make a big difference in the way you look. Of course, if you have a wig at your disposal, feel free to make use of it. (As long as it’s not brightly colored or oddly styled.)
» ALTER your clothing. If you’re a girl, a scarf may be the best accessory you’ll ever own. A single scarf can change your outfit in a dozen ways. But if scarfs aren’t an option, layer your clothing (sweater over shirt over T-shirt). Stripping off a layer—or adding one on—can make it look like you’re wearing a totally different outfit.
» ALWAYS carry a pair of glasses. It’s the simplest way to keep people from recognizing you. Stuffing your cheeks with a few cotton balls can also change the shape of your face—not to mention the sound of your voice.
» DON’T call attention to yourself. Wear drab clothing in bland colors. Avoid heavy makeup or fancy hairstyles. If possible, don’t look anyone in the eye.
* * *
APPENDIX C:
* * *
EAT SOME FLOWERS
Things You’ll Need:
• Rose petals—or any other edible flower (violets, violas, pansies, etc.). Be sure to ask if a flower is edible before you eat it! And never use flowers that may have been sprayed with pesticides.
• One egg white
• Superfine sugar
• Pastry brush
• Wax paper
What to Do:
» CLEAN the petals and allow them to dry completely. If crystalizing whole flowers, be sure to remove the stems.
» BEAT the egg white. Using the pastry brush, cover each petal/flower with egg white.
» SPRINKLE both sides of the petals/flowers with superfine sugar and place on the wax paper.
» ALLOW the candied rose petals to dry overnight.
» ENJOY! Not only do candied flowers taste great and make fabulous decorations, but they’re a delicious way to freak out your friends.
* * *
APPENDIX D:
* * *
OPEN A LOCKED DOOR
Things You’ll Need:
• A locked door in your own house
• A plastic card (an old credit card, school ID, or library card should do)
• That’s it!
What to Do:
» TAKE your old card and insert it into the crack between the door and the frame—about two inches above the door handle.
» SLIDE the card down until it meets resistance. This is the lock catch.
» GENTLY push on the catch with the card until it gives. When the catch gives, the lock will open.
» NEVER break into another person’s house. And now that you know how easy it can be to open a locked door, never forget to lock your dead bolt when you leave home!
* * *
APPENDIX E:
* * *
PUT SMASHED EGGS TO GOOD USE
Things You’ll Need:
• Eggshells
• Flour
• Food coloring
• Waxed paper
• Tape
• Hot water
What to Do:
» WASH your eggshells well and set aside to dry.
» POUND the dry eggshells into a fine powder.
» MIX one teaspoon of eggshell powder with a teaspoon of flour and a teaspoon of hot water.
» ADD a few drops of food coloring and mix again. The result should be a firm paste.
» FORM the paste into the shape of a piece of chalk. Roll the chalk in wax paper and secure with a piece of tape.
» REPEAT the process using different shades of food coloring.
» ALLOW the paste to dry for three or four days. Unwrap the wax paper and discover . . . sidewalk chalk!
* * *
APPENDIX F:
* * *
MAKE YOUR OWN SUGAR SCULPTURES
Things You’ll Need:
• Adult supervision
• Hard candy (like Jolly Ranchers) in multiple colors
• Plastic sandwich bags
• A hammer
• Metal cookie cutters in cool shapes (skulls, ninjas, zombies)
• A nonstick cookie sheet
• An oven
What to Do:
» HEAT your oven to 325° degrees.
» PLACE unwrapped candies inside the plastic bags, keeping the colors separate.
» SMASH the candies into shards, using the hammer. (Watch your fingers!)
» PUT your cookie cutters onto the cookie sheet and fill each one with candy pieces.
» BAKE the candies for ten minutes. Allow five minutes to cool. Then pop out your sugar sculptures!
* * *
APPENDIX G:
* * *
SEND A SECRET MESSAGE IN AN EGG
Things You’ll Need:
• An ordinary egg (raw with shell)
• A needle
• Paper and pen
• Glue that dries white
• Paint (optional)
What to Do:
» TAKE the needle and use it to carefully drill two little holes in the eggshell—one on each end.
» PUT your lips to one of the holes and blow. The raw egg inside the shell will be forced out the hole on the opposite end of the egg. (Unless you want to make a huge mess, blow it into a sink or bowl!) Continue to blow until the eggshell is completely empty.
» RINSE the empty eggshell well and set it aside to dry (inside and outside).
» CUT a small strip of paper. Write your secret message on the paper, and then roll the strip up tightly.
» INSERT the paper into the empty eggshell (once the shell has had time to dry).
» COVER the holes in the eggshell with little dollops of glue, then smooth. Allow time to dry.
» PAINT your creation if it’s Easter (or if you’re feeling fancy). Otherwise, let your secret message delivery system go undercover as an ordinary egg! Your note will remain hidden until someone cracks open the egg and finds it!
Author photo by Randee St. Nicholas
A veteran character actress and one of Hollywood’s most-sought-after talents, Octavia Spencer has become a familiar fixture on both television and the silver screen. Her critically acclaimed performance as Minny in the DreamWorks feature film The Help won her a 2012 Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, and Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award among countless other honors. Octavia is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. She currently resides in Los Angeles. Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit was her first novel.
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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ALSO BY OCTAVIA SPENCER
Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit
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SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
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&
nbsp; This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2015 by Octavia Spencer
Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Vivienne To
Jacket design by Chloë Foglia
Jacket illustrations copyright © 2015 by Vivienne To
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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Book design by Chloë Foglia
The text for this book is set in Janson Text LT Std.
The illustrations for this book are rendered digitally.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spencer, Octavia.
The sweetest heist in history / Octavia Spencer ; illustrations by Vivienne To. — First edition.
pages cm. — (Randi Rhodes, ninja detective ; book 2)
Summary: Randi Rhodes and her friends are heading back to Brooklyn to solve another mystery.
ISBN 978-1-4424-7684-4 (hardcover) — ISBN 978-1-4424-7686-8 (eBook)
[1. Mystery and detective stories. 2. Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)—Fiction.] I. To, Vivienne, illustrator. II. Title.
PZ7.S74817Sw 2015
[Fic]—dc23
2014000792
The Sweetest Heist in History Page 14
