"For any kid who's felt like a misfit, this crackling adventure packs a wallop!" --Lincoln Peirce, creator of Big Nate and Max & the Midknights
Olive Cobin Zang has . . . issues. And they mostly aren't her fault. (No, really!) Though she often slips under the radar, problems have a knack for finding her. So, imagine her doubts when she's suddenly dropped off at the strangest boarding school ever: a former castle turned prison that's now a "reforming arts school"!
But nothing could've prepared Olive for RASCH (not "rash"). There, she's lumped with a team of other kids who never quite fit in, and discovers that the academy isn't what it seems--and neither is she. In fact, RASCH is a cover for an elite group of misfits who fight crime . . . and Olive has arrived just in time.
Turns out that RASCH is in danger of closing, unless Olive's class can stop the heist of the century. And as Olive falls in love with this wacky school, she realizes it's up to her new team to save the only home that's ever welcomed them.
Dan Santat is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of over a hundred books. His picture book The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend received the Caldecott Medal. He also illustrated The Blur, Lift, and Drawn Together, both written by Minh Lê, which received critical acclaim. Dan is also the creator of the Disney animated hit The Replacements. He lives in Southern California with his family. Learn more at dansantatbooks.com or visit him on Instagram and Twitter @dsantat.
★ "A Royal Conundrum....is action, adventure, and fun with a group of young underdogs worth rooting for. The Misfits are a team of heroes for the outcast in everyone." --Shelf Awareness, starred review
"There are hilarious high jinks and outlandish plot points aplenty, plus an astonishingly inventive array of technology that would make even James Bond jealous." --Booklist
"A fantastical blend of quirky characters and goofy adventures." --Kirkus Reviews
"[A] rapidly paced narrative." --Publishers Weekly
"Clever and funny, this rousing mystery-adventure will be a hit with a wide audience." --School Library Journal
"An entertaining mystery with good kids working together to defeat the bad guys and, in the process, finding their place in the world." --The Horn Book
"From mind-bending technology to sometimes hilarious hijinks, A Royal Conundrum has everything a young reader--especially one who feels invisible--could want." --BookPage