Even readers who aren’t sports fans will get a kick out of it.
Pawston Elementary’s dog detectives return for the case of a sabotaged soccer match.
With the Pawston Dynamos facing off against the Catskills Cougars in the soccer championship, Ziggy and Rora argue who will be named MVP. Ziggy backs Pawston’s own David Geckom while Rora predicts it will be Cougar Lion L. Messy. Rider, not a soccer fan, watches their fanaticism with bemusement. Readers who don’t follow international soccer will relate to his obliviousness, and they don’t need the references to enjoy the lizard and feline character designs. Before the game, mysterious acts of sabotage threaten it—starting when a giant soccer-ball monster abducts Pawston’s beloved mascot, Dynamo Dog! The pup detectives search for clues and suspects while the saboteur tries to stay a step ahead. There’s also a supernatural red herring played for laughs. In the climax, the soccer-ball monster returns, and the pups fight it, accidentally disrupting the unlikely true culprit, who delivers a deliciously villainous monologue (complete with flashbacks) to explain motives and methods. Although the heroes end up stumbling onto their answer (leaning heavily on deus ex machina inventions), the fast pace, expressively funny illustrations, and action sequences—both soccer and fighting—will keep readers moving from joke to joke.
Even readers who aren’t sports fans will get a kick out of it. (Graphic mystery. 5-9)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-7870-1
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Questioneers fans will not be disappointed; new fans will find this outing a timely introduction to the series.
The Questioneers are back for a new early chapter book, this one featuring Sofia Valdez, of Sofia Valdez, Future Prez (2019) fame.
Sofia and her friends from Miss Greer’s second grade class are back for another adventure. This time around, an election to select the new class pet offers lots of what Miss Greer likes to call Learning Experiences. Young civic activist Sofia is put in charge of managing the election, which pits candidates backed by two of her best friends against one another. Meanwhile, her cousin Marisella grapples with a pet problem of her own. Between friends and family, the election pulls Sofia in all directions, and she realizes that overseeing a fair election that runs smoothly proves to be a real challenge. Fortunately, she has sage advice from Abuelo and help from the local library to guide her. The short chapters and ample illustrations make for an accessible and entertaining early chapter book, full of fun and, yes, learning experiences. Extensive backmatter includes information on the importance of a free press, the true historical events behind Abuelo’s stories, and more information on how the voting process in the United States works. Sofia and her family have brown skin and are of Mexican heritage; her friends are diverse; and Miss Greer presents White. Marisella uses a wheelchair.
Questioneers fans will not be disappointed; new fans will find this outing a timely introduction to the series. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4350-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Scooby Doo as a bat for the chapter-book crowd. (Mystery. 6-9)
Introducing Echo and his mystery-solving Bat Pack!
Echo the bat grew up in a library and lives in the Fogville cemetery, where it's usually quiet. He likes quiet because he writes mysteries. Then a mysterious, skull-faced stranger in a black cloak arrives in the middle of the night. He seems to be searching for something. When his raven sidekick discovers Echo watching, a scary chase ensues. Thankfully, the Silver kids, Becca, Michael and Tyler, are still awake, and they rescue Echo. A series of break-ins in the days that follow prompts neighbors to tell tales of a spooky flying monster in a cloak. Can it be the stranger from the graveyard? Echo and his new friends (and the ghost of Captain Trafalgar) work to discover the truth (and maybe a treasure). Italian children's author and teacher Pavanello's Bat Pack series debuts in America with this first of four not-too-frightening tales of mystery and monsters. A few odd attempts at colloquialism stick out in the translation, but the language is simple enough for those just graduating from easy readers. Pisapia and Brughera's bright, cartoon illustrations are a plus (though, strangely, the Silver siblings look nothing alike).
Scooby Doo as a bat for the chapter-book crowd. (Mystery. 6-9)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4342-4248-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
