A strong sequel that improves on the foundation laid by its quirky predecessor.
Unstoppable kid scientist Ellie Ment returns to figure out the mysterious green skies above her village.
Eleven-year-old science enthusiast Ellie Ment of Hapsie, England, has barely wrapped up her first eco-adventure before she encounters a weird new mystery that’s enveloping her town. The star of Ellie Ment and the Material Matter (2025), Ellie is approached by her classmate Lucas Penham to prove his mother innocent of turning the skies above Hapsie green. Weeks of initial experiments turn up no useful information; Ms. Penham is prosecuted with the help of a demonstration from Ellie’s art teacher, Victor Quinn, a member of a clandestine organization known as “the Material Matter.” To further their efforts, Ellie, her sidekick (and “master upcycler”) Michael, and their companion Stefon sneak off to Glenmorgan, Scotland, to another branch of the Material Matter. On the way, they learn about the decade-old explosion that destroyed the Forge responsible for the secret society’s Elemental Bracers. Stefon dives into this mystery and soon realizes that it may involve the death of his friend but also the mother of Ellie’s archenemy, Kami. But uncovering solutions to Hapsie’s problems is only half the battle: The intrepid young scientists must find a way to convince the adults around them to commit to meaningful change. The author’s emphasis on the importance of persistence, translating research into action, and the power of community advocacy is a powerful message that speaks directly to the STEM-curious middle-grade audience that this title targets. This emphasis lends significant nuance to Stephens’ characterization of Ellie and her friends as they take big risks that create suspense but also leave a sense of hope in their wake. The book’s readers can even re-create one of Michael’s and Stefon’s inventions using instructions provided in the aftermatter.
A strong sequel that improves on the foundation laid by its quirky predecessor.Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9798245619316
Page Count: 382
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel.
Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.
Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders…
Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-17534-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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