Beetle V. Valorous Is Not a Villain

When you’re the villain, no one can tell you what to do. In this charming and thought-provoking sequel to Noah Corey’s uniquely imaginative middle-grade fantasy debut, a genderqueer middle schooler with magic powers realizes that ending the world is just the beginning. After making a deal with Aunty for limitless magical power and trapping her inside his body, Clementine is learning how to be a twelve-year-old boy (maybe?) and also a monster queen. Sure, it’s complicated, but so is growing up. Clementine and his best friend Cricket are determined to create Better School, a place for outcast kids to fit in. But Aunty’s voice is in Clementine’s head, whispering plans to destroy, eat, and rule the world. And he is definitely NOT thinking about his former-best-friend-slash-crush Bug, aka Beetle. Now that Clementine is evil, and Bug is a hero, they are sworn enemies. And sworn enemies don’t daydream about holding hands! But below Better School’s floating cloud, Anise’s father has convinced everyone that kids like Clementine—kids with magic—are dangerous. Now Clementine has to infiltrate a cult, solve a missing-kids mystery, rescue Beetle from being brainwashed, and keep Better School running . . . or else Aunty will end the world for real. In the meantime, he will decide who he is and where he belongs, once and for all.