SECRETS OF THE UNDER-UNDER WORLD: DUST

Could this be the end for the tween protagonist battling to save the land of Under-Under?

Sam, the red-haired girl who leads Whatever’s middle-grade fantasy series, is finally settling into life with her hodge-podge family. Yet, as the pieces fall into place for her, they begin to disappear for everyone else, starting with the evaporation of the color yellow. The usually apathetic people in her polluted, crowded town become frustrated and belligerent as they look for someone to blame. “How strange that yellow could make such a big difference” thinks Sam in a moment that foreshadows just how big the impact of a small change can be. Along with her brother Darby and cat Gemini, Sam travels to consult her close friend in the Under-Under world, The Great Hildinski. Unfortunately, the witch has been incapacitated and is just barely able to assign a string of kindness-related missions to the kids, thus leaving them to pursue the missing yellow, as well as more recently absent high-frequency sounds and the smell of coffee, on their own. Discovering the culprit is only half the battle; defeating them—even with the help of Sam’s Aunt C and Gruncle—is another matter entirely in the face of unrest, both on the Earth’s surface and beneath it. This apparent conclusion to the Secrets of the Under-Under World series contains a whole lot of heart. Whatever’s devotion to environmental causes rings loud and clear in the names of scientist characters, which reference famous activists (Dr. Grebnuht = Thunberg), and in the emphasis on the damage done by the factory in Sam’s town and the villain’s disregard for natural resources. The portrayal of the villain is in itself very topical—they declare that their petty crimes are just distractions from their grand plan to take over the world.

An environmentally conscious conclusion to an action-packed fantasy series.