A Sea Monster Conundrum

The Misfits #3

by Lisa Yee, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

When there are suspicious sightings around the bay (ghosts?! a sea monster?!)—who're you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that's who! The Misfits are on the case in the hilarious follow-up to the beloved New York Times bestseller!

“For any kid who’s felt like a misfit, this crackling adventure packs a wallop!” —Lincoln Peirce, creator of Big Nate

Oof! When reports of ghosts arise around an abandoned lighthouse, Olive and her elite team of underdogs are immediately thrust into a brand new case. After all, ghosts don’t exist . . . right?

Real or not, the ghosts draw quite a crowd at Olive’s beloved Reforming Arts School, or RASCH (not “rash”). Turns out everyone wants a glimpse of the ghosts, including . . . the nearby marine life?!

Between RASCH’s ghosts and newfound tourism, rumors soon spiral out of control about a sea monster in the bay—snagging unwanted attention from a corrupt mogul. What is going on at RASCH? Does the mythical creature really exist, and can the Misfits save it from being captured? The team will have to dive deep to get to the bottom of San Francisco’s most legendary mystery. . . .

For other Misfit adventures, don't miss The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum and The Misfits #2: A Copycat Conundrum!

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Audiobook

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 6, 2026

About the author

Lisa Yee has written over 20 novels. Her most recent book, Maizy Chen's Last Chance, is about a fifth-generation Chinese American girl, and is a National Book Award Finalist, Newbery Honor, and the Asian Pacific American Children's Literature Award winner.

Lisa's debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Other books include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, Absolutely Maybe, and a series about a 4th grader, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes), illustrated by Dan Santat.

Lisa is also the author of several American Girl books and the DC Super Hero Girls series. A Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence, Lisa's books have been named a NPR Best Summer Read, Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and USA Today Critics’ Top Pick.

Lisa lives In Western Massachusetts, but spends a lot of time in Los Angeles, especially when it's cold. Her next book, an awkward and hilarious mystery, is called The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum, and is illustrated by Dan Santat.

You can visit Lisa at www.lisayee.com.

Reviews

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

When rumors of ghost sights and sea monster sightings start spreading all over San Francisco, particularly in the area around RASCH, the Misfits curiosity gets piqued. Their radar goes on high alert when a local bazillionaire Oscar Odion offers a reward for the sea monster dubbed Frannie and then withdraws it soon after. Odion doesn’t have a good track record with respecting endangered species or taking care of animals well (just look at the people and animals at his marine park). Could Odion have obtained a real sea monster, and if so, can the Misfits save it from Odion’s clutches?

This book would pair really well with the fairly recent YA nonfiction release, Catching Cryptids by Long. I actually first heard about eDNA from Catching Cryptids and the Misfits’ team actually uses that for their investigation in this book. The nonfiction book also talks about how many cryptids can be myths that arise from real creatures that are just a bit elusive. It lends a touch of plausibility to this adventure. I like how the Misfits are feeling more comfortable with each other in this 3rd volume, but continuing to grow. This is a good pick for spy story fans and animal conservation fans.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There are some perilous moments for people and animals but no one is permanently hurt. (Some animals are suffering in captivity in conditions not best suited for them.)
Ethnic diversity: Olive is Chinese American, James is Black American, Imani is Middle Eastern American, Theo is white American, Iggy is Japanese American?, Modest is Russian, other side characters are of various backgrounds.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: Odion’s marine park has less than ideal conditions for workers and animals. He also has a private zoo that includes endangered animals that are illegal to own.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy

After Olive Zang's adventures at RASCH in The Royal Conundrum and The Copycat Conundrum, she and her friends are back at Foggy Manor in San Francisco. When the city is gripped with excitement over sightings of ghosts and sea monsters that bring a Foodie Festival on the Golden Gate Bridge to an abrupt end, Olive, along with James, Iggy, Theo, and Phil, are off to investigate. In between lessons on how to flibbertigibbit, they visit Professor Fable Howser at Marine World to try to get some insight. Marine World is owned by the evil Oscar "Odious" Odion, but they hope that Dr. Howser will have some information. NOCK, the secret spy No One Can Know organization to which Olive's parents and grandmother belong, starts a New Creatures Division to help investigate. When the kids find the sea monster, Frannie, is one of the tanks, they know they need to free her. They are even more determined when a Frannie's very young daughter is found out in the water. Using a Silly Boat Parade as cover, will the Misfits be able to save the endangered animal?

This was another quirky adventure that showcases San Francisco rather nicely, as the kids travel around the city. There's a good balance between scenes set in school and those set out and about, and we even get to meet some of the characters from previous books, like Rance Reed. There are lots of great illustrations by Santat, and the chapters are very short and move quickly. Readers who fancy themselves spies and who wrote themselves into stories like Landis' Capitol Chase, Ponti's City Spies, or Walsh's The Bug Bandits will enjoy this adventure and be curious about the MixFits that show up at the end up the book to "replace" the Misfits!

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Misfits, working for the NOCK agency, is a group of students at the Reforming Arts School (RASCH), thought to be the underdogs, when they're together they can solve any mystery big or small. Lead by Olive, the misfits also include Phil, Iggy, James, and Theo. When they hear about ghost sightings around the old abandoned lighthouse, they can't help but investigate because ghosts don't actually exist right? What seems like a small rumor blows up drawing crowds and marine life to the area. Unfortunately for one particular sea creature, the once small rumor now has blown up into a rumor about a massive sea creature in the bay. Can the misfits save Big Frannie and her baby from an evil mogul who wants to hurt them?

One of the things I love about this series is the friendship and teamwork needed to accomplish so much. From detailed plans to laugh out loud moments, there isn't a single second of the book that isn't grasping my attention or propelling the story forward. I loved the first two books in the series, and I enjoys this one too. Can't wait to see what The Misfits are up to next!

Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.

[Sharon the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 3rd book in the series was as exciting as the others. Full of adventure, friendship, ingenuity, and silliness- it will delight young readers.

Everyone can relate to not feeling like you fit in at some point in your life, this book is a nod to the fact that everyone fits in somewhere. You just need to find the right place and the right people.

[Tweller83]

I received a free copy from libro.fm as part of the educator audiobook listening copies. All opinions are my own. #librofm #randomhouseaudio

[Amy Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for writing this series. I hope there are more stories about The Misfits to come. I love these books.