Super Schnoz and the Gates of Smell

October 1, 2013

Gr 3-5-Eleven-year-old Andy Whiffler was born with a big nose-and a big sense of smell to go with it. Initially picked on, he wins over his classmates with astounding olfactory feats. When a mysterious odor shuts down the school, Andy and his friends uncover a pollution plot by the crooked Environmental Clean Up (ECU) company. With the encouragement of his pals, he becomes Super Schnoz-ready to put an end to ECU's plans and save the day. With a superhero story line, short chapters, and gross-out humor, the book hits a number of reluctant-reader marks. Although the story is fairly formulaic, the light tone and good guys vs. bad guys plot give off a Saturday-morning cartoon vibe that will appeal to many readers. The cartoon-style illustrations are bold and friendly, mirroring the tone of the narrative and sometimes extending it. The book is wacky from page one, and fans of Dan Gutman's "My Weird School" series (HarperCollins) will approve. It treads some familiar "boy book" territory, but Super Schnoz should circulate well.-Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2013
A prenatal pharmaceutical mix-up landed Andy with a "humongous honker" that makes him an object of ridicule at school but also gives him a "super-power worthy" sense of smell. Bullies at his new school laugh at Andy's nose until it gives early warning of imminent principal presence, earning Andy respect and friendship from his former tormentors. Peaceful existence is short-lived: A sudden, terrible smell fills the school, canceling classes. The kids would celebrate, except missed days will be made up during summer vacation, unless Environmental Clean Up, Inc. fixes the mess quickly. But Andy overhears a conversation that reveals all may not be on the up and up with ECU. His friends decide that he must use his nose to investigate--they design a superhero costume to turn him into crime-fighter Super Schnoz (they are sidekicks the Not-Right Brothers and Vivian). Experimenting, the team finds ingenious applications for Andy's nose, such as the power of flight (through inflating his nostrils) and cayenne-pepper attack sneezes. Every power's needed, as ECU's nefarious plan will ruin much more than summer break if Super Schnoz can't save the day. Illustrations highlight how outlandishly oversized Andy's nose is and back up visual gags. The writing, stylistically, has enough action and danger to keep it on the right side of parody, as well as a sense of humor that deftly mixes the absurd with gross-out jokes and clever wordplay. Super Schnoz smells like a winner, especially for reluctant readers. (Adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.