Being "a normal, average kid" is next to impossible when you're a total weird magnet.Doug Underbelly is on a quest to rise from the bottom of the school social order, which requires the appearance of normality. He and his father live in a creepy old house surrounded by graves (some open), so Doug pretends he lives in the quaint house next door. Crushes on girls are normal, so he fakes one. Everyone has a best friend; that must be Simon, who once gave him a stick of gum. But Doug has a supercolossal weird secret: He's King of the Mole People. That's why he's always covered with mud and, often, grubs. Their former king Zoooooooooooooooog (lots of O's means high rank in Mole country) had been deposed for not enforcing Mole laws. The Royal Guard and the people like Doug, but Croogoolooth the Royal Advisor seems to be up to something. When a crisis inside the Earth threatens the surface, is there any hope Doug can achieve his goals? In his middle-grade debut, Gilligan, creator of the comic strip "Pooch Cafe," communicates the myth of "normal" with goofy (and often slimy) good humor. His many cartoons and goggle-eyed illustrations make for added laughs. Characters appear white (or various shades of green).The Wimpy Kid's got nothing on the King of the Mole People—he's got more laughs and more mud. (Fantasy. 7-12)

Gr 3-6 -Doug Underbelly just wants to be an ordinary kid. This is not an easy taskhe lives in a graveyard, has a dad who cooks nothing but eels, and spends his time avoiding the weird goth girl next door, who happens to be the only one who wants anything to do with him. Well, aside from the Mole People: an underground group of tunnel dwellers not to be confused with furry little mammals. When Doug is unwillingly crowned king of the Mole People, his life gets even more confusing and grubby (literally) as his subjects try to fix his unpopular lifeand, of course, cause even more trouble. It's only when Doug embraces his weirdness and comes up with a solution for the Giant Worm Problem that he finally realizes it's OK not to be like everyone else. Cartoon drawings by the author add to the book's quirky appeal. There's even a little character growth here for anyone who happens to be looking. VERDICT This is an extremely strange story, filled with sly humor and featuring a relatable narrator for any kid who's ever felt like a total loser. Will appeal to those who enjoy Max Brallier's "Last Kids on Earth" series or Obert Skye's "Geeked Out" books.-Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX