BILLY HOOTEN

A nerdy lad assumes the mantle of a vanished superhero and discovers that he really does have what it takes in this airy esteem-builder. Reluctantly responding to the cajoling of an elegantly attired goblin he meets in a crypt behind his house, Billy enters a long tunnel and discovers Monstros City—a huge subterranean burg whose variously tentacled, slimy, gross but law-abiding citizens are suffering from a rising tide of crime since the disappearance of their masked protector, Owlboy. Despite many doubts (“I’m just a goofy kid who wouldn’t know how to be a hero if it bit him on the butt.”) Billy puts on the special goggles and costume of his predecessor, and in no time finds himself battling a trio of animated skeletons and a murderous pack of candy-loving Slovakian Rot-toothed Hopping Monkey Demons. Naturally, besting such foes gives Billy the confidence to face the bullies who afflict him at school, too. Featuring full-page illustrations (most not seen), nonstop action, bursts of silliness and the inevitable “1” on the spine, this is tailor-made for fans of Bruce Coville’s Magic Shop series. (Fantasy. 10-12)