Picking up where the first volumeleft off, Katie is on fire to learn all about being a superhero's sidekick, but the Moustress seems interested only in binging episodes of The Great Crumpet Showdown.To make matters worse, someone is framing the Moustress to make it look like she's gone on a crime spree, and Katie's friends, now back from camp, both have boyfriends. Terrific. When another superhero is framed, Katie, with the help of some extraordinary cats, must pull the pieces of her life together to save her friendships and the day. Venable brings all the laughs from the first book as well as the emotional truths of tween-age Katie and her friends. There's also a welcome bit of side-eye at how people prefer to believe social media over actual evidence. Yue's artwork continues to be strong and Lamb's colors impress, especially when lighting characters of color. There aren't quite enough cats, but with cats like these, readers will always be left wanting more. Fortunately, volume 3 is set to come out in 2023.

Katie deals with superhero sidekick woes and friendship drama in the second book of the Katie the Catsitter series. After discovering her neighbor Madeline Lang is secretly the Mousetress, an animal rights activist misperceived by the public to be a supervillain, Katie was thrilled at the prospect of becoming her sidekick. However, sending emails and writing online reviews was not what Katie had in mind. Meanwhile, school is back in session, and things are weird with her best friend, Beth. During their summer apart, Beth got a boyfriend, and Katie made new skateboarding friends. Exacerbating matters, all of Katie's friends become mad at her, and someone is committing evil acts while pretending to be the Mousetress. Like the first book, this entry pairs realistic issues with fun adventure, giving it wide appeal. Young readers will relate to navigating changing friendships and laugh at talented cats such as The Cuteness, who is an expert welder. The fears the Mousetress has developed since her recent imprisonment, as well as her altruistic passion for helping others, add depth. Main conflicts in this installment are wrapped up, but there's an enticing setup for the next book. Katie appears White; Madeline has brown skin, and supporting characters have a range of skin tones. Another surefire hit with big laughs and plenty of heart (and paws). (hero rankings, most-wanted villains, meet the creators, drawing instructions) (Graphic fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 3--7--Katie, who pet-sits for her neighbor Madeline (who fights crime as the superhero Mousetress), can overcome anything with the help of Madeline's army of ingenious cats, or so it seems. Madeline seems more interested in online activism and baking shows, even with a Moustress impersonator on the loose. Katie's friend Beth is back from summer camp, but the two of them don't quite gel, unlike Katie's "Wheel-Las" skateboarding crew. To keep Katie safe and help her build responsibility, her mom imposes rules. Katie is constantly challenged to leave her comfort zone toward personal growth and understanding others' feelings. There are awkward, sometimes painful interactions along the way, but Katie plows through self-doubt, even if she stumbles sometimes. The artwork complements the humorous, intuitive writing, from expertly timed pauses in conversation to expressive body language. Venable and Yue share creative samples and stories from their youth in the back. Katie and her mom are white, Beth is brown-skinned, and Madeline is Black. VERDICT The complex yet effortless mixture of tween angst with superhero subplots is a recipe for success for returning readers and those familiar with superhero tropes.