Katie continues her superhero sidekick training while dealing with friendship jealousy.The only thing better than getting trained to be a sidekick by the Mousetress (aka her neighbor Ms. Lang) is getting to do it alongside her best friend, Beth. Or so Katie thinks until Beth's skills are immediately, naturally better than her own. Beth has also been getting extra chummy with Marie, Katie's skateboarding friend, making Katie feel left out. At school, Katie's friend Jess is acting distant, and at home, it's getting harder to keep her superhero life a secret from her mom. Meanwhile, robots are attacking New York City, and Katie believes she knows the villain responsible-and his real identity. The third installment of the Katie the Catsitter series treads the same ground as its predecessors: It's another funny and exciting story grounded by real emotions and conflict that utilizes easy-to-navigate panels full of simple yet colorful and expressive art. Some side plots in this entry feel more like page fillers than meaningful additions, but existing fans will find enough of the charm and humor from the earlier books to latch onto. The sheer silliness of the many cats, each with a special expertise, continues to delight. Katie is White; other characters bring racial diversity to the cast.Follows the formula established in the previous books for guaranteed success. (sketches, meet the creators, friendship bracelet instructions) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Gr 3–6— In in this third installment, middle schooler Katie continues to train as a sidekick for secret superhero Mousetress and her cadre of 217 highly intelligent cats. Rampaging robots keep appearing all over town, but no one believes Katie when she accuses Benito Benton (aka Eastern Screech) of being the mastermind behind the chaos. Her struggles with physical sidekick training alongside friendship drama result in even more stress. When Katie's overworked mom starts to join her for "cat sitting," Katie wonders how much longer she can keep her sidekick-life a secret&30;or if she'll have to give it up for good. This well-paced, visually appealing middle grade graphic novel continues to develop its unique superhero world. Katie is a relatable main character who struggles with feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and doubt. The multitude of cats and their special ops roles, such as Mew Mew the disguise expert and Seamus the Math Genius, add humor to the storyline. Represented within the artwork is a diverse cast that includes white (Katie and her mom, Jess), brown-skinned (Beth, Marie), and Black (Madeline) characters. VERDICT Fans of the series will eagerly devour this latest volume.