Tim Possible and the secret of the snake pit by Axel Maisy

 There's a particular type of notebook novel, inspired by the advent of Captain Underpants, that combines wild and goofy adventures, usually featuring a male character, with black and white illustrations and a certain amount of crude humor. These books wax and wane in popularity, and as they are often published in paper-over-board editions that last about as long as their popularity, it's easy to weed and replace them with the next popular thing.

  I, um, forgot I requested a copy of this to look at, and also didn't look that closely, so when it came I realized that is was the third book in the series! However, as it happened I had already ordered the first two, and I zipped through it despite not having read the first titles very thoroughly. Tim, whose "superpower" is that his worries become reality, his best friend Tito Delgado, and their neighbor Oskar, a time-traveling, mad scientist who is also a child-sized t-rex, are in trouble - again.

 What's happened this time? Well, it all started when Tim was talking to Zoe Charms, his crush. Or maybe when Tito and Oskar spent some time alone together without him. Or did it start when Tim started worrying about being a good friend and keeping all his friends together? Either way, it's ended with the Tim and Tito running away from weremoles who want to eat them (and everything else), a giant party, and a shocking discovery about all the staff at their school! There are snake aliens, galactic threats, and lessons about friendship mixed in with some very gross snacks, a "superhero" with a diamond-encrusted fly swatter, and, well, you get the picture.

Verdict: If your copies of Hamstersaurus Rex, My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish, and similar titles are ready to be retired, this is a silly replacement that kids who like this genre will be eager to read.

ISBN: 9781534492752; Published December 2023 by Aladdin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library (first two titles in series published).