The Unbelievable FIB 2

June 15, 2016
In Book 2 of Shaughnessy's Unbelievable FIB series, Prudence Potts and friend ABE must solve another puzzle of mythical proportions: who murdered Odin's son Baldur?A year after Pru and ABE, both white in cover art, helped avert disaster, the two are preparing for seventh grade while keeping a hopeful eye out for Mr. Fox, who heads the Fantasy Investigation Bureau. When Mr. Fox finally reappears, the stakes are high: Baldur's death is the first in a fateful series of events leading to Ragnarok, the end of the world. Trickster Loki appears to be the killer, but Mr. Fox cautions that belief and certainty blind people to magic and that assumptions are "beliefs in different clothes." This theme's also explored back in Middleton, Connecticut, where ABE's father oversimplifies his son's complex reality and a teacher pigeonholes Pru as a troublemaker. While some readers may connect with ABE's and Pru's middle school troubles, many will feel like flipping forward to their more suspenseful adventures in the shadowy underworld, encountering Hel, the clever Queen of the Dead. Readers who skip series opener The Trickster's Tale (originally published as The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable Fib, 2015) may find themselves immersed in a Viking world they don't fully understand. While the story's typical middle school troubles may drag, readers excited by plot twists and riddles will enjoy this book's mythical whodunit and anticipate future resolutions to its cliffhangers.(Fantasy. 8-12)

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July 1, 2016
Grades 3-5 It's been a year since ABE and Pru helped Mister Fox keep the Eye of Odin out of the hands of Loki, and they're itchy for their friend to return. Telltale bad weather on their first day of school can only mean one thing: Thor and Odin are in town, and Mister Fox can't be far behind. Sure enough, the friends are invited to meet with Odin, and he tasks them with investigating the murder of his son Baldur. But Mister Fox is uneasy about the job and asks them to keep a more open mind as they travel from Asgard to Niflheim in search of clues. The first book of the series, The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB (2015), focused largely on Pru, and in this follow-up, Shaughnessy offers some insight into ABE, whose relationship with his father is a source of strife. Plenty of action, puzzles, and a glut of Norse mythology make this a good pick for readers who aren't quite ready for Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
In this second installment, junior Fantasy Investigation Bureau members Pru and ABE must determine if, as Odin claims, Loki killed Baldur--an event that would start Ragnarok. Tackling problems in the mythical world gives ABE strategies for addressing real-world issues with his dad and teachers. Personal loss and growth provide solid themes, grounding the fantastical elements.

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