Parents' Guide to A Sea Monster Conundrum: The Misfits, Book 3

This third book in the The Misfits series offers action, intrigue, and teamwork as Olive grows more confident as both leader and team player. Her friends offer fun support, and the story explores environmentalism—keeping oceans clean and protecting marine ecosystems—that can spark conversations about zoos, aquariums, and marine biology practices. Some readers might find the mystery fades too quickly into a rescue mission, but by this point, they'll be emotionally invested in saving the missing character and reuniting them with family. The villain is satisfyingly annoying with selfish, greedy behavior readers will love to despise. San Francisco provides a beautiful backdrop for this modern-tech-minded world, but perhaps it's too small to contain The Misfits' missions—future books could benefit from being set in other locales. They'll also need to address Olive's parents, who are perhaps at the center of the series' biggest mysteries. Despite these minor quibbles, the thoughtful environmental messages, character growth, and page-turning action shows that this series continues to deliver entertaining adventures to tween readers.