Lightweight antics, with cooperation trumping competition in the end.
A young thief tackles toothy monsters, bewildering mazes, and other challenges in pursuit of two priceless treasures in this second series entry.
Twelve-year-old Flynn, a “starkly average” lad, isn’t expecting to be chosen by a dragon for the upcoming Wingrider Trials, but because the first prize is, as the contest flyer puts it, “a life-changing supply of firedrake gold,” he decides to make the best of it. Just learning how to get along with his new fire-breathing partner, River (“I am the only girl in my family…I don’t lose. And, yes, I will bite you if you say something stupid”), and the rest of the dragon–human contestant pairs is but one of a series of tests. The rest range from a game of snakes and ladders (played with actual giant snakes) to interpreting encrypted messages and solving mazes, all while fending off threats like gangs of toothy goblins with sparkly handbags. Hammond’s illustrations allow readers to tackle the puzzles on their own (solutions appear at the back of the book). As it turns out, Flynn’s speed, ingenuity, and light fingers do come in handy—particularly after he learns that the dragons are actually seeking a second, secret prize that’s vital to their continued existence. Can he beat less scrupulous rivals to the finish? In the monochrome illustrations, Flynn’s skin is lightly toned; other contestants and figures sport a range of light and dark hues.
Lightweight antics, with cooperation trumping competition in the end. (Fantasy. 8-11)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781836055242
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Usborne
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Dizzyingly silly.
The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.
Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.
Dizzyingly silly. (Humor. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale.
After a tsunami devastates their habitat in the Salish Sea, a young orca and her brother embark on a remarkable adventure.
Vega’s matriarchal family expects her to become a hunter and wayfinder, with her younger brother, Deneb, protecting and supporting her. Invited to guide her family to their Gathering Place to hunt salmon, Vega’s underwater miscalculations endanger them all, and an embarrassed Vega questions whether she should be a wayfinder. When the baby sister she hoped would become her life companion is stillborn, a distraught Vega carries the baby away to a special resting place, shocking her grieving family. Dispatched to find his missing sister, Deneb locates Vega in the midst of a terrible tsunami. To escape the waters polluted by shattered boats, Vega leads Deneb into unfamiliar open sea. Alone and hungry, the young siblings encounter a spectacular giant whale and travel briefly with shark-hunting orcas. Trusting her instincts and gaining emotional strength from contemplating the vastness of the sky, Vega knows she must lead her brother home and help save her surviving family. In alternating first-person voices, Vega and Deneb tell their harrowing story, engaging young readers while educating them about the marine ecosystem. Realistic black-and-white illustrations enhance the maritime setting.
A dramatic, educational, authentic whale of a tale. (maps, wildlife facts, tribes of the Salish Sea watershed, environmental and geographical information, how to help orcas, author’s note, artist’s note, resources) (Animal fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-299592-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
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