Fun with a socially conscious message—these heroes charm with humor, talent, and, above all, friendship.
The Super Sidekicks return to save humanity from a dangerous foe—who turns out to be of humankind’s own making.
Following their origin story in No Adults Allowed (2020) and still trying to establish themselves as legitimate crime fighters in their own rights, the Super Sidekicks become aware of a new threat to Sydney. An enormous monster made of bits and pieces from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has invaded the harbor, and the adult superheroes have mysteriously disappeared. Junior Justice, Flygirl, Dinomite, and Goo use their individual talents and teamwork to take down the power behind the monster—who is ultimately trying to protect the ocean and its inhabitants. While the heroes’ solutions to plastic pollution are oversimplified and unrealistic, the message promoting urgent environmental action is presented in an accessible and entertaining way. Importantly, this second volume maintains the goofy humor and dynamic action scenes that made the first book so enjoyable. Dinomite’s sarcasm is acerbic without being abrasive, and Junior Justice prompts lighthearted laughs by taking himself just a tad too seriously. Highly effective and engaging layouts help readers follow the action, and shifts in perspective and panel size immerse readers in the lively, energetic scenes. The bright, cartoony colors reinforce the heroes’ sunny outlook and exuberant tone. Junior Justice is cued as Southeast Asian with black hair and light-brown skin, and Flygirl reads White, with pale skin and red hair. The adults are a mix of racial presentations.
Fun with a socially conscious message—these heroes charm with humor, talent, and, above all, friendship. (waste-management tips, drawing tips) (Graphic adventure. 8-12)Pub Date: July 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-17509-5
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
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
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