Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sequel to boy-detective graphic novel brings more laughs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Eleven-year-old Timmy Failure, the self-proclaimed world's greatest detective, and his unemployed mom move into the mansion inhabited by Timmy's great-aunt Colander. All that upheaval provokes Timmy to more of the unusual behavior he exhibited in Book 1 of the series, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He interacts with an imaginary polar bear, indulges in paranoid fantasies, and seems to willfully ignore the obvious. When his school holds a detective competition (asking who stole the principal's globe), complete with suspects and clues, he believes he'll win and the prize money will solve all his problems. But things don't go according to plan, and Timmy decides that the only way to win the school competition is to misbehave even worse.
Is It Any Good?
Like the first book in this series, this is at once a hilarious, slapstick graphic novel and a poignant story about the ways life changes deeply affect youngsters' feelings and behavior. Author Stephan Pastis' simple, expressive line drawings are a big part of the humor here, as is Timmy's head-slapping cluelessness. Middle graders and teens will laugh at Timmy's antics and be touched by the support and guidance his friends and family give him.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about graphic novels. How does the Timmy Failure series compare with other graphic-novel series you may have read?
Timmy's mom worries that he's acting out at school for a reason. Why does she think Timmy's behaving poorly?
What does Timmy learn from his great-aunt Colander?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Stephan Pastis
- Genre : Humor
- Topics : Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick Press
- Publication date : February 25, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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