Second to None

September 15, 2024
Middle school life is about to get even more complicated in this stand-alone follow-up to 2022'sHigh Score. DJ leads a group of friends who complete jobs for other Ella Fitzgerald Middle School students. Audrey is their charming face, Conor is quick and tech-savvy, and Monty is the gentle muscle. DJ is the mastermind and the one they trust to come up with the best plans. After his latest job, he finds a mysterious note with a broken pencil in his locker. Around the same time, Malik, a friend who was on his team at his old school, reappears, kickstarting a mission like none that DJ's embarked on before. He quickly finds himself wrapped up in a conspiracy that threatens the very balance of middle school life, and he must forge unlikely alliances with other groups at his school if they stand a chance of solving the mystery before it blows up--and they become collateral damage. Interesting, well-written characters with wildly different personalities engage in witty banter, coming together to create the ultimate middle school team. The mystery draws readers in as it unravels and the pieces fall into place. The satisfying ending ties up all the loose ends without feeling forced or rushed. The first book established that DJ is Black and Conor and Audrey are white; Monty has a French father and an Arabic-speaking mother. A clever school story with a well-drawn cast and a page-turning mystery.(Adventure. 8-12)

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October 1, 2024

Gr 3-7-In her sophomore novel, Howell brings back Darius James, aka DJ, and he's ready to tackle the newest con at Ella Fitzgerald Middle School. When DJ opens up his locker to find a note with a broken No. 1 pencil attached and the letters 'BPS' written on it, his investigative wheels start turning despite telling his friends that they should take a break from their problem-solving "operation." After some research, DJ notices that certain classmates always win first place; first chair in band, class president, football captain. But since the start of the school year, those usual suspects have been knocked from their pedestals, and those who come up second are now in positions of power or prestige. There's a new operation on campus, and DJ convinces his friends to help him uncover the truth and restore campus order. The plot requires suspension of disbelief as student hall monitors rule and have the power to write passes and get students out of class. A couple of students, DJ's friend Connor included, run an underground candy market from the boys bathroom, and one student gets caught and suspended. The students have too much power at Fitz and run the school with very few adults in sight. VERDICT Despite issues, this is a fine addition to libraries looking to expand their middle grade collections; fans of Gordon Korman and Max Brailler will enjoy DJ's high jinks.-Beth Brentlinger

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