Middle grade fiction that is smart, funny and breaks new ground is hard to come by, in my opinion. I was not prepared to be bowled over by Jamie Thomson’s book, Dark Lord: School’s Out, because the premise seemed to stretch credulity. But I had a hard time putting down this engaging, mind-bending, world-creating saga divided into five parts, with chapter titles such as, “Rock Candy of Doom,” “The Nanny of Doom,” (see the pattern?) “On Your Pink Underpants,” and “Bad Judgment Day.” What, exactly, is the book about? An evil Dark Lord from another realm loses his battle with …

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