Janitors 4: Strike of the Sweepers

By Tyler Whitesides

The stakes have never been higher, and you’ve never seen squeegees do this before! IT is a wild and slightly unsanitary ride as Spencer, Daisy, and the rebels find themselves chased by Mr. Clean’s new and terrifying breed of toxite—the Sweepers. Time is short. With the fable Manualis Custodem in hand, Spencer must figure out how to summon the founding witches if they ever hope to mop up and save education.

Much like the previous 3 novels in the Janitors series, this is full of adventure and has some great morals for kids within its pages. One of my favorite quotes from this book was, “Winning doesn’t mean we all go home safe, that is a thing of fairy tales and bedtime stories. Real life will demand much more of us, and we have to stand ready to pay whatever price is needed to gain the victory. Because victory will come to those who fight for what is right. It won’t come without its fair share of pain and suffering. No victory comes without sacrifice. But it will come. We just have to stay the course.” That’s really the crux of this book. We’re heading into the final innings of the series, and things are getting serious. Spencer is the only hope for the rebels and must learn to trust his instincts to save the people he has come to rely and care for as well as save education and the future.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Janitors 3: Curse of the Broomstaff

By Tyler Whitesides

A secret society of Janitors with wizard-like powers continue their battle, and now, the stakes are even higher.

The Bureau of Educational Maintenance is after Alan Zumbro and this time they mean business—deadly business. Spencer, Daisy, and their little team of rebels must find the source of all magical Glop and destroy it before it can destroy the world as we know it. No small task with the BEM and their monster toxites at their heels. It’s a wild and dangerous ride as they follow the trail of clues all the way to the hiding place of the mysterious aurans: guardians of a secret landfill. What they discover there will change the way Spencer sees himself, not to mention the fate of the rebels.

I was excited to start this novel simply for the fact that I was interested to see what the author would do with Spencer’s newfound abilities as an Auran. The journey that the group takes through the glopified dump is equal parts entertaining and surprising with the imagination that Tyler Whitesides displays. Kids will eat this up. Bookworm is a personal favorite for a new character, that scene just left me happy. We’re handed a few twists in this book and Spencer has to decide who he’s going to trust and who he should give a second chance. I can say this for the Janitors series, it gets better with every book. I didn’t much care for the first book, but they have gotten incrementally better each time. I still am of the opinion that this series is one for the kids more than the adults. Some middle readers and young adult books can bridge the gap between kids and adults so both parties end up loving it, but this one falls shy of that for me as an adult reader. It’s still fun, don’t get me wrong, but I can become bored. That doesn’t mean I won’t finish the series though!

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Janitors 2: Secrets of the New Forest Academy

By Tyler Whitesides

Now more than ever, Spencer, Daisy, and even Dez must fight to save schools everywhere. Toxites, the small creatures that love to feed on the brain waves of students, are just the beginning of their troubles.

The Bureau of Educational Maintenance (BEM) is after Spencer, and the Rebels hope to sneak him to safety within the walls of an elite private school. But danger follows Spencer and his friends testing their loyalty and trust as well as their Toxite-fighting skills. Can they hold out long enough to discover the true secret of New Forest Academy and what it means to the future of education?

I will admit, I didn’t much care for the first book in the Janitors series, finding it a bit preachy about education and a tad boring in the plot. But, having read this second book much improved my temperament toward the series (for an adult, kids will love it) as new twists were thrown in and we are introduced to new plots, bad guys, and powerful janitor equipment. This is much the same base plot as the first book with a few twists, one in particular at the end that had me wanting to read the next book as soon as I could get it at my library. Spencer has fully taken on the duties of a janitor, and has a mystery to solve once he and Daisy are sent to what the rebels assume is a safe school. What is the secret of New Forest Academy? Read to find out.

I give it a 3.25 out of 5

Janitors

By Tyler Whitesides

Have you ever fallen asleep during math class? Are you easily distracted while listening to your English teacher? Do you find yourself completely uninterested in geography? Well, it may not be your fault. The janitors at Welcher Elementary know a secret, and it’s draining all the smarts out the kids. Twelve-year-old Spencer Zumbro, with the help of his classmate Daisy “Gullible” Gates, must fight with and against a secret, janitorial society that wield wizard-like powers. Who can Spencer and Daisy trust and how will they protect their school and possibly the world? Janitors is book one in a new children’s fantasy series by debut novelist Tyler Whitesides. You’ll never look at a mop the same way again.

This is one of those cute books that you find on the shelf and just smile while you’re reading. It’s a great choice for middle readers and it has a very relatable situation combined with magic and kid-like wonders. Meet the Janitors, they’re different from custodians. The Janitors are actually a secret society that fights the Toxites that infest schools and cause havoc for children trying to learn. Each Toxite has breath that makes children distracted, sleepy, or just plain apathetic. It’s up to the Janitors to destroy the Toxites so kids can learn in school. This story is creative and a fun way for kids to look at their janitors in school and imagine a world beneath their own. Spencer is a fun protagonist, a kid who hates making a mess and frankly comes across as a tad OCD, but it never stops him from getting his hands dirty to help his friends and family. This book is a great addition to the books from Shadow Mountain publishing like Cragbridge Hall and Fablehaven. It’s geared toward boys, but with Daisy as a character it also works just fine for girls. My only issue with this book was simply because it is for a younger audience and I found the obvious theme of ‘saving education’ a bit preachy, but for a kid they won’t be bothered by it at all, in fact it probably will be great. I was just rolling my eyes at a few parts (But I’ve read the next few books in the series and it all pans out just fine and I don’t have an issue with it anymore)

I give it a 3 out of 5 – average and fun middle to teen read.