Monster-banishing at its finest.
A sly nine-tailed fox poses a threat in Aguirre and Martínez’s sequel.
Monsters of all kinds continue to prowl around Ohio, and Glenfield Middle School’s resident monster banishers, Pablo, Maggie, and Takashi, have never been more popular. Whether they’re dealing with a demon leprechaun or an internet troll who espouses conspiracy theories (“they used to only live under bridges, but they’ve adapted”), the dynamic trio is on the case, equipped with The Book of Summoning, a powerful guide to banishing monsters through the magical portal residing in Pablo’s locker. Increasingly tired of the monster-fighting life, Takashi reveals his aspirations of becoming a J-pop sensation—even if he can’t really sing—but he’ll have to convince his strict father, former Air Force Col. Rosenberg, first. In a doomed plan, the heroes summon a wish-fulfilling, shape-shifting, nine-tailed fox spirit. The kitsune propels Takashi into viral J-pop stardom and offers his services to other students, bringing them under his control and even dividing the three friends. To banish the trickster and regain Takashi, Pablo and Maggie request help from an unlikely ally. Pablo and friends’ latest super-cool, madcap adventure continues the frenetic, fourth wall–breaking fun, incorporating intriguing snippets of folklore and a compelling cast of cheeky characters, bolstered by the bustling, spirited artwork. Takashi’s efforts to navigate his Jewish and Japanese identities take center stage and are sure to resonate deeply with many readers.
Monster-banishing at its finest. (monster information) (Graphic adventure. 10-14)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781250749765
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
Breathtaking dragon battles peppered with musings on forgiveness, teamwork, and love.
Lunar Jones joins other planetary guardians to unravel clues from Proteus and save the solar system in this third series entry.
Lunar, a 15-year-old dragoon, is known far and wide and regarded as a hero on Mars, but his personal life contains tension. He’s bonded for life with Dread, the savvy war strategist King-Dragon of Mars, but the Dread Knights are leaving one by one to pursue other opportunities. Though he’s unhappy about this, Lunar doesn’t try to hold them back. Sorting out his feelings for Rose Proctor is another can of worms. Plus he’s preparing for the upcoming Solar Summit, which is held by the planetary dragons once every 500 years. Reminiscent of a dragon family reunion, the summit includes equal measures of information exchange, camaraderie, and squabbles, but the appearance of a shape-shifting Fear Dragon brings everyone to laser-focused attention as they rally against a monstrous unseen enemy. Lunar’s first-person narration presents him variously as an awkward teen, pep-talking mentor, and battle-savvy commander. The dragon battles rock, innovations abound, and the Proteus messages tantalizingly reveal themselves right up until the cliffhanger ending. Names and skin tones cue some ethnic and racial diversity among the smart, strong teenage crew members surrounding the white-presenting Lunar. Knowledge of the previous books is essential to fully appreciate this volume, which explores characters and situations from earlier entries; a prologue introduces the formidable new characters Doom and Gloom.
Breathtaking dragon battles peppered with musings on forgiveness, teamwork, and love. (Fantasy. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781665982016
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
BOOK TO SCREEN
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