(4) 4-6 Joey and Johnny, the Ninjas series. Illustrated by Chris Pallace. Ninjas-in-training Joey, Johnny, and Peoni must prepare for their most dangerous mission yet: hosting a lethal tea ceremony for the angry spirits of deceased ninjas while fighting sneaky pirates that stand in their way. Although the characters remain superficial and the plot trivial, this second enjoyably campy adventure boasts a Saturday-morning-cartoon vibe, with energetic black-and-white spot art, funny dialogue, and gleefully exaggerated action.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Joey and Johnny, the Ninjas series. Illustrated by Chris Pallace. Ninjas-in-training Joey and Johnny are stuck chaperoning a superhero-sidekick exchange student at Kick Foot Academy. They're soon pulled into a winner-take-all challenge against their bumbling but technologically superior rival school. With a Saturday-morning-cartoon vibe (including the genre's superficial characters and lack of nuanced storytelling), this goofy debut is enhanced by funny dialogue, over-the-top action, and plenty of lively black-and-white spot art.

Reviewer: Russell Perry