Clueless McGee and the Inflatable Pants

Gr 3–5—PJ McGee, would-be ninja and private eye, solves another mystery. Through letters written to his absent father (complete with clever cartoons), PJ tells a strange and humorous tale about a theft. His nemesis is Sara Bellum, who has won every school award and wants her lucky streak to continue by winning the science fair. When the first-place trophy goes missing, PJ is sure Sara has taken it. The inept detective covets the prize, so he sets out with the other two members of the Tae Kwon Do Club (aka the "Ninja Club") to solve the case. Before the trophy is found, there are many bizarre and fantastical skirmishes among the returning cast of characters, including the beleaguered principal, Mr. Prince. The high jinks are over-the-top; the hero has to deal with helium-filled pants, a magnetic pickle, and karate-chopping gloves made from his mother's oven mitts. This is a lighthearted, silly story that will have readers both smiling and rolling their eyes. Though the joke is always on poor PJ, he learns in the end who his real friends and supporters are-and that there are many of them. This title will be well-received by graduates of Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" series (Scholastic) and those who love Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Abrams) and Lincoln Peirce's "Big Nate" books (HarperCollins). It will also entice reluctant readers.—Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL