The Terrible Two Get Worse

Gr 4–6—It's a new school year, and Miles and Niles, the Terrible Two, are ready to prank. The year has hardly begun when the unthinkable happens. The Terrible Two have done their job too well, and their principal, Mr. Barkin, is put on involuntary leave because of his inability to control the incessant rash of pranks in his school, humiliatingly replaced by his father. Miles and Niles gear up to start pranking the new Principal Barkin, but he is a strong opponent, maintaining that a prank is only a prank if it is acknowledged as such. No matter how ingenious the Terrible Two's pranks are, Barkin will not admit anything is wrong. Depressed and a feeling a little guilty, Miles and Niles team up with the last person they ever thought they'd pull off a prank with: former principal Barkin, the one person who knows his father's only weakness. This is a strong and much anticipated follow up to the original. The evolution of the characters and their relationships is particularly enjoyable. Miles and Niles have grown as friends and as people. It's fun to watch them grapple with the repercussions of their actions but ultimately decide to continue pranking. Viewing former principal Barkin from a new perspective, as he tries to find meaning in his life after losing his job, will make readers rethink their original views of him. The new Mr. Barkin is a wonderful, villainous addition to the cast of characters at Yawnee Valley School. Fast-paced and laugh-aloud funny, the book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Frequent, humorous graphics will attract fans of visual storytelling and also make the book more accessible to reluctant readers. Quirky writing and colorful dialogue make the book an excellent read-aloud.