A fast-paced and affecting adventure with plenty of laughs and a relatable message.
In the latest installment of Frederick’s middle-grade Cockroach the Superhero series, a young superhero faces off against a pair of time-traveling thieves.
This third series entry, following Breakfast of Superheroes (2018) and The Secrets of the Superhero’s Ring (2021), serves up a winning mix of humor, heart, and high-energy heroics. Eleven-year-old Kyle Alexander, who has a secret super-identity as the Cockroach, is back in action, this time chasing down the Bangle Bombers. They initially come to his attention after they used dynamite to gain entry into a bank vault, leaving only a round, wooden bangle—a type of bracelet—behind at the scene. “What’s a bangle?” asks one of the responding officers. “Beats me. I guess it’s one of these,” responds his colleague. It turns out that the criminals are using a stolen time machine, and they have a distinct talent for chaos. However, saving the world isn’t Kyle’s only challenge: He’s also contending with the more mundane trials of adolescence, from cafeteria food and classroom naps to nosy parents and a grandmother who’s a little too observant. Frederick keeps the tone brisk and buoyant, grounding the larger-than-life stakes in everyday struggles and a refreshingly human protagonist. Kyle’s growth is the central element of the narrative; although his courage deepens, he remains an endearingly awkward kid who leans on friends and teammates as he navigates fear, responsibility, and loyalty. A climactic showdown, sparked by the discovery of the villains’ hideout and the healing of old emotional wounds, pushes him to new limits, both as a hero and as a boy who’s still figuring out who he is. Seasoned readers of middle-grade fiction may predict a few twists, but the action and emotional characterization keep the pages turning. The messaging isn’t subtle, but it lands effectively, delivering a satisfying blend of superhero spectacle and coming-of-age insight. Occasional dark-toned illustrations amplify the mood, and the young heroes’ determination and passion make the story feel both contemporary and inspiring.
A fast-paced and affecting adventure with plenty of laughs and a relatable message.Pub Date: July 22, 2025
ISBN: 9781732385351
Page Count: 176
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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