Pinkbeard's Revenge: A Funny Superhero Chapter Book About a Girl, Her Canine Sidekick, and Villains for Kids (Ages 6-9)

Adventures of Jo Schmo #4

by Greg Trine, Frank W. Dormer (Illustrator)

“Packed with warped logic, twisted common sense and silly hijinks—offbeat fun.” — Kirkus Reviews

Fourth grade superhero Jo Schmo and her doggy sidekick, Raymond, are having a pretty rotten day—they just don’t know it yet. Danger is lurking all over the Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull are planning a jail break, and they want to get revenge on Jo Schmo. Then a group of time-traveling pirates shows up in San Francisco and winds up on the wrong end of Jo Schmo’s famous fighting move, the Tasmanian Chop. So Pinkbeard the pirate joins forces with the dastardly doctor to concoct the evilest revenge plot ever. Watch out, Jo Schmo! And your little dog, too!

Genres: Adventure, Humor

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Greg Trine is the author of the Melvin Beederman, Superhero books for children, which he creates with his illustrator sidekick, Rhode Montijo. He is also the author of the young adult book, The Second Base Club. He lives with his family in his Southern California hideout.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/gregtrine

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Jo Schmo and Raymond have to deal with two disasters within this short novel, she just hasn't figured that out yet. First, Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull have catapulted themselves out of prison and plan to get revenge on Jo Schmo. At the same time, Pinkbeard and his pirates have time traveled into the future to chase women, drink grogg, and terrorize San Francisco. When Jo Schmo ruins the pirates fun and sends almost all of them to prison, Pinkbeard teams up with Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull in a plot to bring down Jo Schmo. How will she defeat all three of them, especially since they know her weakness?

My thoughts:
I have read most of the Jo Schmo adventures. I enjoy them because they are cute superhero stories with a female protagonist. It's usually a good time with some silly language and moves. For instance, the big deal here is that you are what you drink. So, Pinkbeard loves Pink lemonade and has a Pinkbeard because of it. My biggest problem with this installment is that I didn't care for the pirates. I understand that pirates chase women, but I don't really want it within my children's stories. I just really didn't think that the pirates needed to be sexually represented. I was happier with the ideas of causing mischief.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book really wasn't my cup of tea although it might appeal to some elementary readers interested in pirates and superheroes. San Franciscan Jo Schmo is lured by her affection for her dog Raymond into the hands of pirates who have traveled across time. One of the pirates seems more interested in quenching his thirst for lemonades while the others and two bad guys are bent on revenge, and Jo is part of it all. There is much running about and last minute rescues. Lacking prior knowledge from the three previous titles, I found that some of the humor was over my head and some of the references meant nothing to me. Animal lovers may be drawn to the series since it features an appealing dog.

[Jtimko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth in the series featuring Jo Schmo, her drooling dogRaymond, and her retired sheriff, Grandpa. In this novel, Jo encounters the wicked pirate Pinkbeard, Dr. Dastardly and Numb Skull as they attempt to inflict revenge on their common enemy- Jo Schmo. Readers, as well as those new to the series, will enjoy this new adventure in the Jo Schmo series. There is plenty of action and lots of tongue in cheek humor in this story. Lively illustrations will keep the reader amused as Jo Schmo conquers the evil trio. Fans of ridiculous humor will enjoy the exploits of the dastardly crew. This would be a suitable selection for the elementary library.

[Elijah Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a crime fighting superhero and her slobbering sidekick dog Raymond. A pirate named blackbeard and two others are trying to get back at Jo. Can the fourth grader be saved? Read this book to figure out.

[Jnase1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline in this book jumped around way too much which made it difficult to follow. I love that the hero is a girl, but the jumpy plot made it just eh for me.

[J. Jefferson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite silly, but perhaps entertaining to students with a low interest in reading. Has lots of pictures to engage the reader.

[River · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book ^