BookRix

The neighborhood kids have inadvertently started a young girl's hair on fire at the local theater...and then fled the scene of the crime. Hiding behind the neighborhood library...having the "matchgun" technology explained to two of the boys by the oldest member of the "gang"...the little snot "Dennis" spots them and blackmail ensues.
Dennis winds up with the matchgun...:)

"Bordering the broad parkway, towering elms stood, perfectly aligned and spaced. They were trimmed as if a small army of tree barbers spent innumerable hours each day manicuring them, until even the squirrels and birds donned tuxedos before entering the branches."

Many thanks to Laz for the outstanding cover.