Sir Seth Thistlethwaite and the Kingdom of the Caves

Gr 3–5—The Mighty Knights of Right & Honor, 10-year-old Sir Seth Thistlethwaite and Sir Ollie Everghettz, are back along with Sir Seth's trusty steed, Shasta. Investigating a mysterious "GU-LUMPH" in Puddlewater Pond, the three explorers are pulled into a wild, and, as the author tells readers, imaginary adventure to the underground Queendom of Claire. Here Queen Beatrix charges the trio to save the realm from the Evil Mister Ooz, who wishes to create his own "Kingdom of Ooztralia." Joined by Princess Sundra Neeth and a cast of oddly named creatures of the desert, the trio traverses the sandy Sadlands, hoping to thwart Mister Ooz before he reaches the castle and claims the Magna Charter as his own. Thake's tale is teeming with adjectives, puns, and general wordplay, which will most likely go over the heads of the intended audience and make for a confusing read. There is a lot of telling and very little showing, which also hinders the progress of the story. Chui's black-and-white cartoons are appealing, but readers will be better served by Jon Scieszka's "Time Warp Trio" series (Viking).—Mary Beth Rassulo, Ridgefield Library, CT