Framed

The characters in Framed tend to fall into distinct groups, so it is helpful to list those individuals who fall into each group along with their distinguishing qualities. For Griffin, the most important group is his “posse,” those close friends who remain supportive of him even when he is placed under house arrest and can’t participate in their plans. At one point—when one of his plans lands the entire group in trouble, Griffin must attend an alternative school, and he is prohibited from leaving his house—Griffin believes his posse has abandoned him. Within minutes, Griffin finds that the entire group has secretly climbed into his basement. They await him, having conceived of their own plan to prove his innocence.

Initially, there are five members of the posse. Ben, Griffin’s long-time best friend, is a diminutive, somewhat fearful kid who must talk himself into following through with Griffin’s plans, which force him into courageous, foolhardy acts. Ben has a service ferret, “Ferret Face,” whose job is to nip him whenever Ben, who experiences episodes of narcolepsy, falls asleep. Melissa is an extremely shy computer wizard who hides her face behind a curtain of hair and rarely speaks. She possesses an amazing ability to hack into anyone’s emails and link multiple tech devices seemingly at will. Savannah is the group’s emotional heart, expressing empathy and nurture to all. She is also an “animal whisperer,” who communicates uncannily with a variety of different pets. Pitch is a tomboy, a tall, athletic girl whom the group calls upon for any deed requiring physical acumen. She is also the group’s cynic and truth-teller. Logan is a born performer who believes he can assume any persona necessary to achieve the group’s plans. Convinced he will become a famous actor, he views his every action as part of a performance. The newest member of the posse is Shank, a student in the Jail For Kids who continues to insist that he is Griffin’s friend until Griffin and then the entire group accept him. Shank is strong, blunt, and surprisingly tender-hearted.

Just as Griffin has first five, then six, close associates working to find out who framed him and recover the missing Super Bowl ring, there are also four, then five potential suspects. These are individuals who each have a reason to take the ring for themselves. Griffin and his posse set a sting operation to capture the true thief, change their focus to a single individual, then enlarge the circle of suspects before realizing that none of the potential culprits is actually responsible for the theft.

Dr. Egan, the new, very annoying principal of Cedarville Middle School, is the first of the suspects. Referred to by Griffin’s friends as “Dr. Evil,” Egan makes it known to Griffin from their first interaction that he is aware of his past questionable behavior. As someone with animosity for Griffin and a key to the locked trophy case from which the ring disappears, Egan is a suspect. Darren, referred to by others by his last name, Vader, has two reasons to want the ring: He expresses a desire to sell it, and he constantly looks for new ways to get Griffin in trouble. Another suspect is Tony, a descendant of Art Blankenship, the original owner of the ring. Tony believes that the ring properly belongs to him rather than the school. Celia White, a reporter for the local newspaper, harbors a longtime grudge against Griffin based on her reporting of his past legal issues. Griffin thinks she might have stolen the ring to finally secure a legal judgment against him. Added to the original list of suspects is Mr. Clancy, school custodian, who is a longtime fan of the Baltimore Colts. He believes the ring should never have gone to Blankenship’s New York Jets. Clancy also has a key to the trophy case.

While the narrative focuses on the actions of tween characters, they are not yet independent enough to escape direct supervision by and interaction with adult authority figures. Gordon Korman portrays the adults, regardless of how they view Griffin, as largely being obstacles to Griffin’s plans. Adults do not become helpful participants in the story until Griffin and his friends demonstrate his innocence.

Griffin’s parents have high expectations for their son, but he frequently disappoints them. Despite their wishes and lectures, Griffin falls short, causing them to end up with police intrusions, legal judgments, inconvenient school changes, and unexpected expenses. Legal authorities also figure prominently in the narrative. Griffin is well-known both to Judge Koretsky, who continually increases the strictures he faces, and Detective Vizzini, who still resents having been out-maneuvered by Griffin in the past.