The Case of the Battling Bots

February 1, 2016

Gr 3-5-Tank & Fizz are young goblins that love to solve crime (think Sherlock Holmes and Watson as monsters). While investigating corruption at the annual Battle Bot Cup, a wicked villain named The Codex threatens to take over all of the technology in Rockfall Mountain. Through their investigating skills (and a little bit of luck), Tank & Fizz do everything they can to stop The Codex and save their town. Comic book panels and splash pages are used with dramatic effect whenever there is action and adventure. The friendship between the two will be relatable to young readers. Rockfall Mountain's focus on technology make this a nice addition to STEM collections. Young readers will enjoy this story without having read the other story in the series. This is a great blend of mystery and fantasy that will have kids clamoring for more.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2015
Young sleuths stumble on a demonic conspiracy to blow the lid off Slick City's new sports arena. Just for a start. Goblin Fizz Marlow and troll gearhead Tank Wrenchlin are convinced that slimeball schoolmate Rizzo Rawlins' supposedly homemade battle bot illegally incorporates professional-grade code and components. Their search for proof leads them and elven trainee wizard Aleetha to several puzzles. Who is the mysterious "Codex," and why is he (or she) supplying Rizzo as well as hacking Slick City's computer systems to threaten disaster if the just-finished Slurp Stadium is opened for the upcoming Battle Bot Cup? How did the stadium come to be built over a magic stone that could, as old maps hint, serve as a portal to demon worlds? What can a trio of fourth-graders do, opposed by corrupt officials, a bully with a pair of hulking hench-ogres, and a local business tycoon with--as it turns out--a high-tech hand-held demon controller? Well, plenty, though not without a few missteps, help from a surprising temporary ally, and lots of climactic bot-smashing. In a slick mix of narrative blocks and panels of nonscary monsters delivering punch lines in dialogue balloons, the exploit careens along to a triumphant close. High-energy high jinks in a multicultural, or at least multispecies, setting. (Graphic/mystery/fantasy hybrid. 9-11)

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