THE PENGUINS OF DOOM

Fishbone presents this middle-grade reader in the form of letters from purple-haired Septina Nash—the magical seventh child of a seventh child of a seventh child—to her teachers, her school counselor and the police lieutenant who is leading the investigation into the disappearance of Sexta, Septina’s sister. Through these letters, readers learn that Sexta, jealous of her sister’s status as seventh child, has answered an ad to become the Ice Queen’s replacement and has moved to the Triangle of Frozen Doom. Among the cast of characters: Septina’s mom, a famous skateboarder who makes a living selling lottery tickets, Dr. Fignizzi, Septina’s mortal enemy who winds up having nothing to do with Sexta’s disappearance and Miss Snoqualmie, Septina’s math teacher whom Septina sets up on dates with men who work in the sanitation department with her father. Though this is thoroughly silly and campy, it is ultimately unsuccessful. The characters, Septina in particular, are not likable, the plot twists are bizarre instead of interesting and the attempts at cleverness and humor, though occasionally right on, are for the most part overdone and forced. (Fiction. 8-11)