Holly Farb, seventh-grade know-it-all, just lost the election for school president, but who cares about that when someone thinks you’re a princess?
While sulking over her loss, the white girl is approached on the schoolyard by three extraterrestrials who believe that she is the missing Princess of the Galaxy. When she confides this to her new classmate, gangly Chester, the two of them, along with their quirky science teacher, dark-skinned Mr. Mendez, are captured by these ETs (who are really bounty hunters) and taken clear across the galaxy. It is on this journey that Holly learns that Mr. Mendez is no stranger to space travel, as he outsources his teaching skills at the intergalactic Star Academy on the planet Tragadore VI. And, after their first narrow escape from the space pirates, Chester literally sheds his skin to introduce his nonbinary identity as blue-skinned Princess Jalya. Holly, Jalya, and Mr. Mendez encounter diverse worlds of alien beings, including very rich humans who travel freely as tourists throughout the universe. As the three attempt to make their way back to Earth, there are scores to be settled. The adventure is narrated by a snarky storytelling robot who addresses readers as “pointless human” and offers intermittent humorous observations of human behavior aimed squarely at a middle-grade audience.
An enjoyable, imaginative sci-fi debut. (Science fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7177-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2017
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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 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
Categories: CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION
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It’s been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed “zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool” is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.
Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School’s biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the “ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success.” Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack’s pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn’t hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate’s illustrations play an integral role in the novel’s success. They not only bring Brallier’s characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack’s “killer driving.” The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.
Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-670-01661-7
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 22, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
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