In the third installment of the Janitors Series, Curse of the Broomstaff author Tyler Whitesides takes his story on a slightly different path.  Dez, a prominent character in the earlier books, is completely missing; Spencer’s missing father is actually present; a lot more time is spent on garbage dumps (or is it landfill?) than on janitorial and educational issues.  Spencer and Daisy are joined by others on a quest-driven plot.  Although the author had a bit of fun with the landfill scenes, they weren’t quite as charming and clever as his janitorial angles and gadgets.

This is a fantasy series absolutely worth putting in the hands of a young reader.  It is fast-paced, fun, and a sure-fire hit.  However, it is essential to start with the first book in the series, as Whitesides does not devote page-time to exposition and backstory.

Brandon Dorman deserves a loud shout-out for his dazzling book cover art.  The artwork for all three Janitors books is absolute eye-candy and perfectly captures the spirit and innovations of the novels.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Shadow Mountain

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  Brief battle with magic and mythical creatures with property destruction and rendering characters unconscious; character hits another character; fight involving the throwing of objects; brief magical battle in which a mythical creature is killed; undetailed report of a killing; report of a death at the hands of magical creatures; destruction of property; characters fall to presumed death (no details); battle with mythical creatures, no casualties; several extended battle scenes in which humans battle with magic and magical creatures with biting, hitting, sword, etc. resulting in death/injury of creatures and injury and death of a human, non-detailed.

Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

Death

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None