The Case of the Slime Stampede

Tank & Fizz #1

by Liam O'Donnell, Mike Deas (Illustrations)

When Gravelmuck Elementary's cleaning slimes escape and destroy the schoolyard with their acidic ooze, all claws and tails point to Mr. Snag, the school's caretaker, as the culprit. Determined to clear Mr. Snag's name, Tank and Fizz dive into the case, only to discover that the goop under Rockfall Mountain runs deep. The detective duo must outwit their eight-legged principal and survive an ancient war between high-tech janitors and spell-slinging wizards. Can Tank and Fizz find the real monsters behind the slime stampede in time to clear Mr. Snag's name?

The Case of the Slime Stampede is the first book in the Tank & Fizz mystery series about two crime-solving monsters living under a mountain.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Canada, Adventure, Humor

152 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

I’m an award-winning author, educator and literacy advocate. I have created over 35 graphic novels and books specifically for reluctant readers, including Max Finder Mystery, Graphic Guide Adventures, Geeked Out Mysteries and two new series Tank & Fizz and Battle of the Blocks.

Visit liamodonnell.com and say hi! That'd be awesome.

Reviews

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mystery, easy to read, wonderful illustrations with a graphic novel feel, this book will appeal to middle grade readers. Slimes have been let loose in the city and their janitor from Gravelmuck Elementary, Mr. Snag has been arrested for the crime. Tank and Fizz know he is innocent and set about to prove it. An entertaining read, great characters and lots of goop and monsters. Highly recommended.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goblin Fizz and his techno-troll Tank (she) get to the bottom of the illegal release of slime at their school. Who wants to get the janitor fired for losing control of his beloved cleaning substance? And where is the slime—is it being fed properly?
Snappy dialogue and lots of humorous/gross details about gremlins, elves, etc keep the plot skipping along. Three-color illustrations add detail and advance the plot.
Mystery is secondary and pretty obvious, and I was disappointed that the spider principal turned out to be not guilty, just creepy.
Selective readers should enjoy.

[Steve Stred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is the first in the series, my son and I have read two others previously, but managed to track this one down at our Library.
This one was a solid opener in the series, but felt a bit light compared to the other two, which makes sense as this was a beginning, whereas the others are occurring in a world the author has fleshed out.
It was still really fun, had some great mystery and intrigue and focused on Tank & Fizz working together, which is always great!

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chapter book, best for maybe middle school or younger, maybe late elementary.

A goblin and ogre detective team in an elementary school. Kind of annoyed with the stereotype of boring teachers and kids who don't do homework, but a nice detective story for a young audience.

[Daramegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://daramegan.cz/recenze/tyna-a-bz...

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good detective mystery set in a fun world of monsters. Highly accessible with lots of appeal for an elementary audience. I'd read the next one. 3.5 stars.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kid liked it, so this is his rating! It wasn't bad. Not my favourite but I'm not the target audience after all!

[Amy M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5

[Wunderdrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is nominated for the 2017 Hackmatack award in the fiction category.
Tank (a troll) & Fizz (a goblin) are students at Gravelmuck Elementary, which is located deep within Rockfall Mountain. Fizz fancies himself as a detective, and Tank is his tinkering partner. In this installment, they are trying to find the real culprit of the 'Slime Stampede' so that they can clear the name of their beloved school janitor, Mr. Snag. I will admit, they had me fooled until almost the very end. The illustrations really added to the story and helped my imagination along. I like a good 'whodunnit' and any kids who enjoy monsters, slime and a mystery will surely enjoy this book. I would recommend for grade 3-4.

[Jessalyn King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Almost a noir detective mystery but not quite. I've seen that done in kids' books to great success. I think I would have really loved this book if the author went fully down that road, instead of mostly.

I really loved the little comic sections. They were a very successful addition to the story (especially since they were incorporated as part of the story and not reiterated after). Very nice.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute. Fast paced with enough suspense and diversion to keep children guessing "who done it" until the end.

***Do for October Hackmatack program and make it Halloween themed.

[Niki · Rating 2 out of 5]

A relatively cute little story about a pair of fourth-grade detectives working on solving the case of the framed caretaker and his cleaning slimes. Creative, but I didn't love it. The random comic panels were a nice addition to the story.
Short-listed for the 2017 MYRCA.

[Rachel Seigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't "love it", but this is cute and funny and young readers up to around age 10 will enjoy this monster-themed hybrid mystery series.

[Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for young