A terrific trilogy of fast, freewheeling friendship tales.
Aided by magical animals, three kids with disabilities solve mysteries and save the day in this omnibus of middle-grade adventures.
Rasheed gets about in a wheelchair. His best friend, Jonathan Nguyen, needs a stick to walk. They live in a society where humans and magical creatures coexist and where those with disabilities are both accepted and respected. But prejudice still exists. Some of the lesser-known creatures are looked down on by their more famous brethren and by certain humans. But that’s about to change. Rasheed loves to solve mysteries. He has named his wheelchair Sonya and modified her for increased speed and functionality. Jonathan has built all sorts of gadgetry into his cane. Joined by their friend JosephineRodriguez, who has chronic anxiety, Rasheed and Jonathan set out to right some wrongs. In Book 1 (Mystery Force, Assemble!), they fly to Scotland to rescue animals from a sweatshop. It is here that they befriend Max the flying Fire Fox and Dan the Karkadan (an armor-plated rhinoceros). In Book 2 (The Case of the Stolen Horn), one of their teachers—a unicorn—has his horn stolen, and another instructor—a pegasus—is falsely accused. The friends have to track down the real culprit. In Book 3 (Blazing Blizzards), they trek through a labyrinth and to the top of a mountain to combat the villainous schemes of the aptly named Dr. Evilina Dorisova. Neill presents a simply written omniscient narrative in this series opener. The stories breeze along, each escapade offering plenty of action, peril, and ingenuity. The chapters are short, and the protagonists act with the good-heartedness and uncomplicated determination of the most firmly entrenched middle-grade heroes. Rasheed, Jonathan, and Josephine are very likable. While the author glosses over the exact nature of their impairments, they take charge of their environment and refuse to let their disabilities manifest as handicaps. This positivity is reflective of good values portrayed here more generally: compassion, selflessness, and bravery. Though the mystery element is actually quite light, young readers will be caught up and swept along amid dauntless deeds and acts of derring-do. Copious cartoon-style, black-and-white illustrations by Spooner bring the books to life and highlight their diversity.
A terrific trilogy of fast, freewheeling friendship tales.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2021
ISBN: 979-8486908149
Page Count: 330
Publisher: Independently Published
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre.
In the latest installment of the delightfully disturbing chapter-book series, the mundane once more takes on supernatural qualities, this time in the form of veggies.
With this follow-up to Troubling Tonsils! (2025), our host, Jasper Rabbit, once more channels Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. As Jasper narrates, we meet our heroes: fourth graders Thaddeus Badger and Oliver Possum, who love nothing more than eating junk food, particularly the hamburgers at Hurt-A-Burger (a mildly brilliant corporate name on the author’s part). When Oliver’s parents trick the two into a dinner of salads at their favorite fast-food joint, Thaddeus feels betrayed, but Oliver experiences something a little more dire. Soon after, Oliver starts acting strangely, and his parents begin behaving even more oddly. What’s going on? And does it have anything to do with the full moon? Tone is the true star of the show in this series; the mystery unspools thanks to the buildup of unnerving moments. Reynolds combines suspense with a keen ability to artistically frame both sunny innocent sequences and those rich with dark foreboding. Notably, this is no morality tale about eating your vegetables—this tale is fully on the side of its child readers. Brown’s black-and-white images, punctuated with eerie pops of green, heighten both horrifying and comedic moments.
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961110
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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