Framed

The perfect crime – it's a work of art, in Frank Cottrell Boyce's ingenious story, Framed . Dylan is the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod. His parents run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage – and when he's not trying to persuade his sisters to play football, Dylan is in charge of the petrol log. And that means he gets to keep track of everyone coming in and out of Manod – what car they drive, what they're called, even their favourite flavour of crisps. But when a mysterious convoy of lorries trundles up the misty mountainside towards an old, disused mine, even Dylan is confounded. Who are these people – and what have they got to hide? A story inspired by a press cutting describing how, during World War II, the treasured contents of London's National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate mines. Once a month, a morale-boosting masterpiece would be unveiled in the village and then returned to London for viewing. This is a funny and touching exploration of how art – its beauty and its value – touches the life of one little boy and his big family in a very small town. This edition of Framed includes bonus material and discussion questions from Frank Cottrell Boyce, and illustrations by Steven Lenton. I said to myself, Dylan, there's only four things you know about painting: the names of four painters - Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo ... the party dude. Dylan Hughes is more interested in the Ninja Turtles than in the Renaissance artists they are named after. But then Dad leaves home and, overnight, nine-year-old Dylan must become man of the household and boss of the failing family business. A masterpiece worth a mint might be just what they all need ... [back cover] Dylan and his sisters have some ideas about how to make Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel into a more profitable business, but it is not until some strange men arrive in their small town of Manod, Wales with valuable paintings, and their father disappears, that they consider turning to crime Nine-year-old Dylan helps his parents run a failing petrol station in a small Welsh town and becomes a reluctant robber when he discovers some treasures being stored in a local abandoned mine The perfect crime becomes a work of art in Carnegie-medal-winning Frank Cottrell Boyce's hilarious novel, Framed, featuring a fantastic cover from Steven Lenton.