The second book in the Tales of Triumph and Disaster series by Printz Honor Recipient and National Book Award Finalist Deb Caletti.
Something must be done. Vlad Luxor continues to rule the Timeless Province with a cruel hand, and now he's screaming about Inners and Outers, Others and Us. It's all getting worse and worse, except for one amazing change: This time, Henry has friends to help him in the face of pure evil. And as everyone knows, with friends by your side, you can tackle anything.
Well. Maybe not anything.
Because when the meanest boy in school is turned into the stinkiest, weirdest creature ever, Henry, Jo, Apollo, and Pirate Girl are asked to do the impossible. Breaking this spell will force them to go on their most dangerous, frightening adventure yet--through the Wilds, the Forest of Knives, and a lodge in the woods belonging to the most terrible bully of all . . . Vlad Luxor himself.
Henry has no choice but to take the first step . . . into a mission that may be doomed from the start.
Printz Award Honoree and National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti debuts in middle grade with a tongue-in-cheek hero's journey set in a town full of magic, mayhem, lighthouses... and evil.
The story takes place in a world much like ours, but at the same time not at all like ours, in which Vlad Luxor--a capricious, vain, infantile tyrant--rules over a town with an iron fist. He's an emperor with no clothes, but woe is the person who points that out--they could wind up turned into a squirrel or lizard or who knows what! For in this world, the evil leader also has magic, which he uses to punish anyone who speaks out against him.
But in every classic tale with a despicable villain, there must also be a truly noble hero--in this case, four of them! Henry, Apollo, Pirate Girl, and JoJo must be their most brave and clever to break the spell Vlad Luxor has cast on Apollo's brother, Rocco. For we can't have Rocco remain a naked lizard for the rest of his life, now can we?
