Fart Quest

July 15, 2020
Three children set out on a quest to prove they can be heroes. Bartok, a 12-year-old Black boy, was nicknamed Fart by the master he apprentices under after choosing Gas Attack as his first spell to learn. He wants to be an exalted mage instead of an average human. Fart and his group--Pan Silversnow, Moxie Battleborne, and their respective masters--are only three months into a yearlong journey. They must prove they can survive the wilderness of the Fourteen Realms while helping others and defeating evildoers in order to graduate from Krakentop Academy for Heroes. When the masters are obliterated before their very eyes, Moxie and Pan are ready to head back to the academy, but Fart insists that they should use the opportunity to demonstrate their bravery. After taking their masters' belongings, the trio defeat a hobgoblin then set off in search of heroic escapades. Chaos ensues as the group comes up against giant bees, ogres, and other mythical creatures. Though the story is told from Fart's perspective, Moxie and Pan are just as important as the three learn to work as a team and recognize each other's strengths. The humorous writing, wacky names, lively, cartoonlike illustrations, and simple text will especially appeal to reluctant readers. Pan is an elf who is cued as Asian; Moxie is a dwarf who appears White. A good questing novel for readers seeking a simple, lighthearted adventure. (map) (Fantasy. 8-11)

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Starred review from August 1, 2020
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* Three young students at Krakentop Academy for Heroes set out to have adventures, collect Experience Points, and level up in this game-inflected kickoff. Adventures definitely find them, from a battle with harpies and a two-headed giant named Tim and Steve to the rescue of a swaggering set of professional Heroes self-dubbed the Man-Bun Brotherhood. Taking over narrative, if not leadership, duties is Level 1 apprentice mage Bartok, involuntarily saddled with the titular nickname after choosing as his first spell Gas Attack, which turns any opponent into a noxious cloud. Actually, Gas Attack, along with other seemingly less-than-potent spells like Feather Friend and Puppy Power, turn out to be surprisingly useful, as Fart and his companions, apprentice martial monk Pan Silversnow (elf) and warrior-in-training Moxie Battleborne (dwarf), bear the ominously named Bean Burrito of Destiny into the eerie Caves of Catastrophe at the behest of wizard Kevin in order to fetch bottled gas from what they are told is a golden llama, but is actually a far more dangerous snake-tailed creature out of myth (with a similar name). Crud on a cracker! as Fart is wont to exclaim. Kendall adds stylish character card-style portraits with labeled traits and gear to a generous array of melodramatic action scenes. By the end, Fart has decided to own his mocking moniker, and has achieved Level 2 to boot. Stay tuned for further gassy exploits.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)