The Ice Cream Con by Jimmy Docherty

Danger, diamonds, and disorganized crime! This gritty, funny debut will have readers rooting for--and laughing with--the underdogs!

Jake and his buddies are over being bullied by the thugs at the housing projects he calls home. That's why Jake decides to play the goons at their own game by creating a fake gangster, the Big Baresi. But before long, the imaginary mobster seems to have taken on a life of his own! The stakes are raised when a stash of stolen diamonds goes missing. From behind the wheel of an ice cream van, Jake's got to pull off the ultimate con--while managing to keep the mint chocolate chip from a meltdown. Because, as the Big Baresi knows, revenge is a dish best served cold.