BILLY CLIKK: Creatch Battler

Crilley, creator of the Akiko series, introduces a new hero in an action-adventure reminiscent of the Spy Kids movies. Left alone while his parents, who supposedly run a pesticide business (Bugz-B-Gon) in Indiana, are off on another "skeeter gig," 12-year-old Billy stumbles onto the truth: Mom and Dad are agents of AFMEC (Allied Forces for the Management of Extraterrestrial Creatches), a secret organization dedicated to the control of monstrous beings that occasionally stray into human society. Even the dog is not what he appears to be—he's actually a "demi-creatch" who can shapeshift and read. Having caught his parents in a whopper, Billy now has some leverage and angles to become an "Affy," too. Despite the risks (e.g., being skinned alive or debrained by the enemy), Billy's potential access to weapons, electronics and flying vehicles trumps his fear. Unfortunately, the story winds up being less than the sum of its often appealing parts. The action starts slowly, and the climatic battle (involving a plot to blow up the Taj Mahal) introduces a villain with only a vaguely outlined motive. Crilley gets off a few good lines ("So Mom's the brains of the operation," Billy figures out) but the author stumbles, too, introducing a man with a "thick South American accent," who is actually from Guatemala. Readers drawn to the gadgetry may overlook these flaws, and the lonely latchkey life of Billy may explain his wild enthusiasm, but others may not want to spend this much time with somebody's parents. Ages 8-12. (June)