Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions

Twelve-year-old Runt Higgins feels cursed. Between being cast out from his werewolf pack, failing in his bid to become a junior-henchman-in-training, and being trailed by Pismo (an annoying newbie who keeps getting Runt in trouble), nothing about the new school year at Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions is going his way. Worse still, it seems like someone is trying to sabotage the school. In this series opener, first-time novelist Grau turns familiar tropes upside-down in a realm where working for an evil overlord is the highest of honors. Goofy characters like Frankie, a minion whose head pops off every time he's overcome with emotion, come to ghoulish life in Sutphin's dynamic b&w illustrations. Runt's hapless attempts to do the right thing make him easily relatable amid themes of conquering self-doubt, wrestling with perfectionism (as one character puts it, "You can't get upset about what you're not"), and searching for a place to belong, whether it's with a family bound by blood or one created in a lab. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. Author's agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (Mar.)