I woke up (well, mostly…I’m still working at it) this morning to a new Doc Wilde and The Frogs of Doom review. It’s notable because it looks like it could well have been my first negative review, but wound up very positive anyway.

It’s by Sondra Eklund at Sonderbooks, and she began like this:

Okay, I admit it. When I read the first chapter of this book, it reminded me way too much of the Spy Kids movie that my children watched until it nauseated me.  I wasn’t at all sure I could finish the book.

She also notes:

The book is described as a tribute to the old pulp adventure novels.  That is perhaps my problem — I never was a fan of those books.

A clear case of “not every thing is for every one,” right? But then:

However…I began to be intrigued to learn in what over-the-top way Doc Wilde and his children Brian and Wren would get the better of the sinister amazonian frogs of doom.  The less I took it seriously, the more fun I had reading it…once I got in the habit, I did find myself coming back for more each night…

I am looking forward to having this book on the library shelves.  I think it will be a natural choice for young comic book fans ready for a little more text and a lot of rollicking adventure. The story is indeed over-the-top.  Brian and Wren take after their father — tanned, golden-haired, strong, agile, good-looking, and incredibly smart.  Throw in being magnificently wealthy with all kinds of high-tech gadgets invented by Doc Wilde himself, and you won’t be surprised when they get out of every life-threatening situation thrown at them.  The fun comes in at how they get out of it this time.

And the adventure continues.