World’s Best Greatest Ever Inventor (Dex Dingo #1)

Exuberant fourth grader Dex—who’s half Filipino, half American dingo—wants to be the World’s Best Greatest Ever, but he isn’t sure what he could be the World’s Best Greatest Ever of. When his teacher, Ms. MuskOx, assigns Dex and his classmates a project for which they must create a presentation about a profession that interests them, Dex uses the opportunity to become the World’s Best Greatest Ever inventor (but only because Philip called dibs on becoming king). There’s just one problem: Dex doesn’t know what to invent. Syd’s comment that “there’sss too much ssstuff in the world” sparks an idea, and soon, Dex develops trash-eating nanobots. But what starts as a seemingly foolproof recycling hack turns sideways when the nanobots begin indiscriminately consuming everything. Aided by rogue nanobot Nono, Dex and his best friend Buckley—who’s “totally batty”—must figure out how to contain the ravenous horde. An all’s-well-that-ends-well resolution sows anticipation for the next installment of this brightly hued graphic novel series opener by Foley (Kat Needs a Nap), in which a commonplace school assignment turns into a rollicking adventure. Ages 8–12. Agents: Gwen Beal and Albert Lee, United Talent. (Sept.)