Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers: Captain Underpants, Book 9
Common Sense says
- Dav Pilkey
- Humor
- 2012
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers is the ninth installment in Dav Pilkey's bestselling series that flies off the elementary-school library shelves. Like all of its predecessors, there's a mix of bathroom humor and elaborate pranks that leave both bullies and the "innocent" slightly injured. The language includes potty talk but also complicated words explained through context; the violence is cartoonish but does feature freeze rays, a tie used as a whip, some kicking and pushing, and fear of a legend the protagonists created. There's an implication that the greatest insult to a boy is that he be thought of as girly. On the bright side, this series is considered an ideal choice for reluctant readers.
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User Reviews
cud of been better
Good book, but I think it could be better.
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What's the story?
George and Harold were last seen about to be arrested for robbing a bank (a crime actually committed by their evil twins) but were then \"rescued\" by villain Tippy Tinkletrousers, who'd travelled from the future. CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE TERRIFYING RETURN OF TIPPY TINKLETROUSERS introduces the idea of time-travel paradoxes and how changing just one thing (intervening in the bank robbery) can lead to the eventual end of the world as we know it. The time travel leads to an extended flashback that lasts the bulk of the book, involving the origins of George and Harold's friendship as new neighbors who meet in kindergarten and collaborate on comic books and defeat the school's ring of sixth-grade bullies.
Is it any good?
Dav Pilkey is a master of enticing young kids, particularly boys, to their elementary-school libraries by writing exactly at their level -- bathroom humor and all. Although some parents don't appreciate the series' potty jokes and the misspellings (the stories within the book are written by George, in this case a kindergartner!), it's obvious why kids (and adults who enjoy a finely crafted comic adventure filled with toilet and time-travel gags) would find Pilkey's books irresistible.
There's so much to delight readers, from the "Flip-o-Rama" pages to the little interruptions to explain something else pivotal to the story (like the "Banana Cream Pie Paradox"). The book is packed with clever jokes, funny illustrations, and an impressive array of vocabulary words. Finally, readers find out exactly how protagonists/partners George and Harold met as incoming kindergartners -- an epic literary friendship for the under-10 set. And for parents reading along, there are plenty of references that will make grown-ups laugh out loud, like the chapter titled "Break in Two: Electric Boogaloo." Captain Underpants might be silly, but it's also an ingenious way to get young kids to read for pleasure.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why the Captain Underpants series is considered good for reluctant readers. What about these books appeals to kids who otherwise aren't interested in reading?
Why are books that feature bathroom jokes so popular with kids? Do you think this series appeals equally to boys and girls? Why?
What do you think will happen in the final installment? Did all of the flashbacks and time travel get confusing?
Book details
- Author: Dav Pilkey
- Illustrator: Dav Pilkey
- Genre: Humor
- Topics: Superheroes, Adventures, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
- Publication date: August 28, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 7 - 11
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Paperback, Hardback
Themes & Topics
For kids who love graphic novels and humor
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.