Unleashed

August 1, 2015

Gr 5-7-Griffin Bing and his group of mystery-solving friends meet their biggest challenge yet when Griffin agrees to enter the Invent-a-Palooza contest at Cedarville Middle School. While Griffin may have the edge as the son of a real-life inventor, Melissa proves that girls can compete with her own high-tech invention. Her ingenuity helps solve the problem of keeping Luthor, Savannah's pet Doberman, from chasing trucks. Unfortunately, Melissa's invention is stolen, and the kids must employ a mean-spirited neighbor to help recover it. The adventure gets even more complicated when Griffin's own invention fails to live up to his father's expectations, leaving Darren Vader as the unlikely contest winner. In between the twists and turns, Korman touches on subjects of gender equality and discrimination. Jonathan Todd Ross sets a brisk tempo with a smooth style of voice animation. VERDICT Recommended for fans of the series and other contemporary mysteries.-Alice Davidson, Indianapolis, IN

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.