by Tom Angleberger ; illustrated by Tom Angleberger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2017
Beware giant raccoon-eating sharks and enormous beavers! (Science fiction. 7-11)
Escaping a planet-sized strip mall was a snap compared to surviving a planet full of computer-controlled vehicles running amok.
Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket Raccoon and Groot and their sidekick, superintelligent tape dispenser Veronica, are out of fuel and forced to land on planet Happyhappyfunfun—but cars and trucks of all kinds attack them every time they set down. Planetary president Dina the Wonder Lizard explains (from the cave where she’s hiding) that Big Mama, the safety computer that controls all the self-driving cars, is seriously buggy: its download of an update was crossed with every bad race car–driving action movie ever made. Dina enlists the help of Rocket and Groot to stop Big Mama, but the computer intends to see the streets run red with blood (and Groot’s sap). Can our intrepid heroes survive—and refuel? Following series opener Stranded on Planet Stripmall! (2016), Angleberger returns with another gonzo adventure full of mayhem and impossibly action-errific narrow escapes. The story is written in the form of Rocket’s captain’s log, with plenty of “I am Groot” interjections and snarky comments from Veronica (and a few denizens of the planet too), with each character’s voice presented in a different typeface and often color, and is liberally decorated with Angleberger’s scribbly cartoons. Readers too young for the PG-13 movies or the adult-oriented comics will enjoy this age-appropriate and entirely silly adventure.
Beware giant raccoon-eating sharks and enormous beavers! (Science fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-8141-8
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Marvel Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
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by Aaron Blabey ; illustrated by Aaron Blabey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2017
Another uproarious romp that explores what it is to be good as well as do good.
The foursome of reformed villains returns with a new mission and new team member in a continued effort to repair their reputations in Blabey's (The Bad Guys, 2017) rollicking sequel.
This second installment opens with our would-be heroes, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha, fresh from their bold liberation of the local pound, finding that the media is not spinning in their favor. Accused of terrorizing rather than rescuing, the group (at least Mr. Wolf) refuses to admit defeat—"We're the GOOD GUYS here!"—and begins planning a new mission to free innocent chickens from their deplorable confinement in the Sunnyside Chicken Farm. But if the team can't work together—something all the more difficult with the team a little panicked by the addition of Legs (a friendly, tech-genius tarantula) and one of the group suspiciously excited to greet the chickens—a rescue mission may be all but impossible. Despite some language devaluing of mental diversity (“freak out,” “loco,” etc.) that may turn some readers off, Blabey once again deploys moral ambiguity to overall success, challenging fear as a justification for prejudice and mistakes as reasons to give up. The narrative has lost no comic momentum from first to second book, juxtaposing classic riffs on Mission Impossible and new visual gags unique to these delightfully wry characters.
Another uproarious romp that explores what it is to be good as well as do good. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-545-91241-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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by Tracey West ; illustrated by Graham Howells ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 24, 2014
With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after.
Drake has been selected by the king to serve as a Dragon Master, quite a change for an 8-year-old farmer boy.
The dragons are a secret, and the reason King Roland has them is a mystery, but what is clear is that the Dragon Stone has identified Drake as one of the rare few children who have a special connection with dragons and the ability to serve as a trainer. Drake’s dragon is a long brown creature with, at first, no particular talents that Drake can identify. He calls the dragon Worm. It isn’t long before Drake begins to realize he has a very strong connection with Worm and can share what seem to be his dragon’s thoughts. After one of the other Dragon Masters decides to illicitly take the dragons outside, disaster strikes. The cave they are passing through collapses, blocking the passageway, and then Worm’s special talent becomes evident. The first of a new series of early chapter books, this entry is sure to attract fans. Brief chapters, large print, lots of action, attractive illustrations in every spread, including a maplike panorama, an enviable protagonist—who wouldn’t want to be a Dragon Master?—all combine to make an entertaining read.
With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after. (Fantasy. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-545-64624-6
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Branches/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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by Tracey West ; illustrated by Matt Loveridge
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