Ragtag Team (Slamdown Town Book 2)

by Maxwell Nicoll, Matthew Smith

Overview

It’s time for a tag team as Big Chew jumps back into the ring

Ollie and Tamiko saved Slamdown Town, and wrestling is popular again! The rise in popularity draws two newbies to the ring: the Krackle Kiddos, Linton Krackle’s son and daughter. They may be puny middle schoolers, but they’re somehow unbeatable. Something’s fishy about Linton’s kids…and it’s not just the prize crackle fish on display at Krackle Manor.
Soon the son and daughter of the Slamdown Town CEO are changing the arena into something it’s not. This identical duo is up to no good, and no one—not even the The Referee or Werewrestler—can stop them.
No one, that is, until Tamiko transforms into Game Over—the combo-savvy wrestler with a flair for turning her opponents into a pile of pixels. When Ollie joins Game Over as Big Chew, the two best friends become the Ragtag Team. They determine to find out the truth behind the Krackle Kiddos’ winning streak and give them a run for their money in the ring while they’re at it. Being tag team partners with your best friend is awesome…but when it comes down to it, can Ollie and Tamiko make for the kind of winning combo that sniffs out clues and takes down the competition?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419745942
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	02/16/2021
Series:	Slamdown Town
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Maxwell Nicoll and Matthew Smith are writing partners, screenwriters, and graduates of the School of Visual Arts.


Maxwell Nicoll and Matthew Smith are writing partners, screenwriters, and graduates of The School of Visual Arts.

Editorial Reviews

2021-01-12
It takes two in this middle-grade pro-wrestling sequel.

Business has boomed at Slamdown Town arena ever since Ollie, a scrawny sixth grader, discovered magical gum that transforms him into Big Chew, a muscle-bound wrestler. For now, Big Chew is sidelined, as Ollie prefers cheering alongside gamer girl Tamiko in the crowd. Ollie and Tamiko are doubtful when promoter Linton Krackle’s children, Leon and Luna, make their in-ring debut—and dumbfounded when they effortlessly defeat adult opponents. After battering the duo during an at-home exhibition, Ollie and Tamiko seek and gather evidence of corruption and learn the Krackle Kiddos are ignorant of any foul play. Meanwhile, Tamiko unlocks her own alter ego when a stream of arcade game pixels empowers her to shape-shift Shazam-style into wrestler Game Over. The best friends are, at last, in-ring partners—but Big Chew is a rule-abiding face whereas Game Over competes as a rule-bending heel. As Leon and Luna stack up suspect wins, the Ragtag Team works through their differences and earns hard-fought victories, culminating in a three-way dance for the tag team titles. Can Ollie and Tamiko find a way to conquer the champions while protecting the Krackle Kiddos from psychological and physical harm? Although matter-of-fact intergender matches are welcome, wrestling fans will scratch their heads at nonsensical move names while bookish types will bemoan the formulaic plot. Ollie is White; Tamiko’s name cues her as Japanese American.

This enhancement talent squash match simply runs too long. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews