The Summer I Robbed a Bank is the story of a boy named Rex who lives in Dublin. His parents get a divorce and he goes to his mum’s brother’s house on Achill Island for a holiday. Uncle Derm used to work in a factory that makes those inflatable balloon things you see outside of shops, until it shut down. Now he spends his time making stuff out of old junk.
On the island, which seems to be covered in sheep, Rex makes a new friend, Kitty. She’s from England and is about the same age as Rex. Her parents have split up too and she spends her summer on Achill with her dad. Kitty shows Rex around the island, like the best places to go cycling and Duncan’s Beach, which is a good place to swim. (Duncan is a cute donkey who likes carrots. Everybody on Achill loves Duncan.)
One day, Uncle Derm decides that he wants to rob the island bank. But it’s not because he wants to keep the money himself, it’s so he can use it to save the old coastguard station, which is going to be torn down and turned into something else. I can’t tell you what happens next because that would be a spoiler!
I thought this book was really funny. It made me want to go to Achill Island too. There are a lot of sheep there and sheep are cool and fluffy.
I thought Rex was a good character but I really liked Kitty. She’s fun and she loves doing stuff like cycling around the island and swimming. Uncle Derm was always up to something, which I really enjoyed.
I’d recommend The Summer I Robbed a Bank to people aged 8–11, who like funny books about adventures. (And just so you know, Rex is not a dog.)