Everyone's favorite underdogs are back! Can they land work on a movie set — and foil a cat burglar — with their unusual and motley skills?
School is out for the summer, and the Dunderheads are finally rid of the awful Miss Breakbone. Or so they thought! Teen star Ashley Throbb-Hart is shooting a movie nearby, and who should show up as an extra but their formidable former teacher! She's not the only Breakbone on the scene, either; after a string of burglaries strikes town, Miss Breakbone steers her barrel-chested brother, Police Chief Breakbone, toward those meddling, good-for-nothing Dunderheads. And when Spider ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, the blowhard chief has all the evidence he needs to lock him up. Can Einstein, Wheels, Nails, Spitball, Google-Eyes, Clips, Junkyard, Pencil, and Hollywood combine their talents to catch the real criminal before they join their friend behind bars? Newbery Medalist Paul Fleischman and illustrator David Roberts reunite for a delightfully triumphant sequel to The Dunderheads.
Fleischman and Roberts work in perfect synch to deliver a noirish mystery that’s as delightfully eccentric as the kids themselves.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The wry, economical text works in seamless partnership with the stylized, one-of-a-kind watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations to move the zippy story line forward...The Dunderheads might be “half-pint hooligans” or underestimated budding geniuses, but either way young readers will surely line up in droves for this winning gang’s latest adventure.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
The Dunderheads are back in another amusing caper that’s sure to please fans of their earlier exploits (THE DUNDERHEADS, 2009)... Readers of all ages will enjoy poring over the pages to find the hidden humor. Delightfully smart and deliciously funny—don’t miss it.
—Kirkus Reviews
As diverse as the kids themselves. Roberts re-creates the self-reliant, multi-talented crew from THE DUNDERHEADS with the same wit and panache, the perfect complement to Fleischman’s snappy, kid-friendly narration; a highly entertaining triumph by kids over adults’ summary injustice.
—The Horn Book
