Doreen Green came into her own as a local superhero in The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World (2017), and her newest adventure thrusts her and her squirrel army once again into the path of the evil organization Hydra. The people of Shady Oaks and neighboring Listless Pines are excited for the mall being built at their border, but a competition to choose its mascot is turning the townsfolk violently against one another. While Squirrel Girl capably combats the mall-related malfeasance and uncovers its sinister cause, Doreen struggles against the perilous foe that is middle school. Both Doreen and her best (human) friend Ana Sofía learn the importance of honesty and communication in friendship, while Squirrel Girl learns new ways to take a bite out of crime terally. Chapters are enhanced with text and social media exchanges as well as footnotes from Doreen, making this another funny, rapid-fire read. The Hales' blend of lighthearted adventure and familiar middle-grade dilemmas will send tweens scampering to the shelves.

As a middle schooler, fourteen-year-old Doreen Green fumbles through friendships and schoolwork. As her alter ego, Squirrel Girl, she battles a sinister force causing two towns to fight over a new mall's mascot. The narrative is told from varying perspectives; text messages, "Friendbook" comments, email exchanges, and Doreen's first-person footnotes inject humor into the tightly paced, action-packed story.