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Is this the end? Well, no…the series will stagger on through at least one more scheduled sequel. Pilkey tucks both topical jokes and bathroom humor into the cartoon art, and ups the narrative’s lexical ante with terms like “pharmaceuticals” and “theatrical flair.” Unfortunately, the bullies’ sad fates force Krupp to resign, so he’s not around to save the Earth from being destroyed later on by Talking Toilets and other invaders… George and Harold link up in kindergarten to reduce a quartet of vicious bullies to giggling insanity with a relentless series of pranks involving shaving cream, spiders, effeminate spoof text messages and friendship bracelets. Cut to five years previous, in a prequel to the whole series. The villain sets off after George and Harold, who are in juvie (“not much different from our old school…except that they have library books here.”). There, he witnesses fellow inmate Tippy Tinkletrousers (aka Professor Poopypants) escape in a giant Robo-Suit (later reduced to time-traveling trousers). To start, in an alternate ending to the previous episode, Principal Krupp ends up in prison (“…a lot like being a student at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School, except that the prison had better funding”). Not that there aren’t pranks and envelope-pushing quips aplenty. Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment.

The recap of the first novel is helpful, but interjected magic-trick instructions break the narrative flow.Ī heartfelt sequel that primes audiences for the next installment. It is too cutesy at times, but the message that friendship helps children conquer adversity is a welcome one. Readers who love Harris’ ( The Magic Misfits, 2017, etc.) screen/stage presence will feel as if he’s sitting next to them reading the words aloud, as the dialogue sounds authentic to his own voice. Acceptance, love, and understanding are at the heart of this novel, which features a diverse cast of child characters. The plot thickens when Sandra Santos, a beautiful and mysterious stranger from her father Dante Vernon’s past, sweeps into town, and rumors of hauntings at the Grand Oak Resort seem to be linked to magical misdeeds from Dante’s younger days. The quest for identity is at the center of the tale, as Leila yearns to know why her birthparents abandoned her. The story centers on Leila, the dark-skinned orphan girl adopted by the Vernons, the gay couple who own the magic shop. The second installment in this middle-grade series returns readers to the magic shop in Mineral Wells, where Carter-the protagonist of the first novel-found a family, friends, and a new life. The Magic Misfits are back for another outing.