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The Brainstormerz: Money Talks
Not yet published
Expected 5 May 26For readers of Raina Telgemeier and Jerry Craft comes a fresh, funny new young middle grade graphic novel series about three problem-solving besties and their humorous money-making schemes. Electric James, or Lex, as his friends call him, is finally turning ten, and that means one he's getting a phone! And with the hottest phone on the market—the Apollo XL— he’s sure to become the coolest kid at Roberto Clemente Elementary School. But when his parents break the news that the Apollo XL is way out of their price range, Lex is crushed.
Luckily, he has his best friends DJ and Cass. Together, they’re the Brainstormerz — and they’ve never met a problem they couldn’t solve! All they need to do now is figure out how to raise the money for the phone themselves. How hard could it be?
From the talented trio of New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander, Cassidy Dyce, and Eisner winning cartoonist Rashad Doucet, comes a hilarious and electrifying story about friendship, creativity, and the power of teamwork.
Luckily, he has his best friends DJ and Cass. Together, they’re the Brainstormerz — and they’ve never met a problem they couldn’t solve! All they need to do now is figure out how to raise the money for the phone themselves. How hard could it be?
From the talented trio of New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander, Cassidy Dyce, and Eisner winning cartoonist Rashad Doucet, comes a hilarious and electrifying story about friendship, creativity, and the power of teamwork.
- GenresGraphic NovelsChildrens
248 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 5, 2026
About the author
Kwame Alexander
95 books3,172 followersKwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf's Up, a picture book; Booked, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 16, 2025
Hey 🥹 this is my first book as a co-author with KA…. To those who get to read I hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed creating this story ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC Provided by Netgalley
Electric "Lex" lives with his parents, who run a bookstore called Lazy Bacon in Reston, Virginia. He often hangs out with friends DJ and Cass, so when he realizes he in not getting an Apollo phone for his tenth birthday, he makes plans with them to raise the money. DJ is rather unreliable, and prone to not paying attention, so it isn't a huge surprise when the kids' successful hot chocolate sales go bust because DJ used his grandmother's chocolate laxatives in the peanut butter hot chocolate! The kids have to return all of the money they made. They also plan a Doggy Day Care, and get lots of dogs to walk and groom, but when the dogs run after a hot dog truck, they once again fail to make money. Lex is concerned that his parents are fighting, but is invested in the idea of paying for a fancy phone. He buys a magic kit at a garage sale and plan a show at school, where they will charge $1 per person. This angers the school's Magic Club, and they make a deal with Lex that if he can get out of a locker ala Harry Houdini, they will let him keep the proceeds. He doesn't, of course, and the principal has to call firefighters to get him out of the locker. The trio thinks about snowblowing, but land on the idea of selling greeting cards at a local artists' fair. They do well, and earn $937. When Lex finds out that the Lazy Bacon book store might have to close, he offers the money to his parents, but they tell him not to worry about it. They get an extension loan, and eight months later are doing okay. At the end of the book, DJ arrives to tell Lex that Cassandra has a Ginormous problem, and we will get to read about that in the upcoming Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Elementary schools might want to look into this, but Lex and his friends seem a bit young for middle school readers. It seemed unrealistic that the principal wouldn't have a key to the locker to get Lex out; there are at least five of us at my school who could get a child out of a locker, and this has never once been an issue. The parents' business struggles are realistic, but solved much too easily. I'm all for children opening businesses and trying to make money, but $937 seems like a lot to earn selling handmade greeting cards. Readers who enjoyed Miller, Canino, and Luu's Besties: Work it Out or Doucet's Art Club will want to take a look at this new series.
Electric "Lex" lives with his parents, who run a bookstore called Lazy Bacon in Reston, Virginia. He often hangs out with friends DJ and Cass, so when he realizes he in not getting an Apollo phone for his tenth birthday, he makes plans with them to raise the money. DJ is rather unreliable, and prone to not paying attention, so it isn't a huge surprise when the kids' successful hot chocolate sales go bust because DJ used his grandmother's chocolate laxatives in the peanut butter hot chocolate! The kids have to return all of the money they made. They also plan a Doggy Day Care, and get lots of dogs to walk and groom, but when the dogs run after a hot dog truck, they once again fail to make money. Lex is concerned that his parents are fighting, but is invested in the idea of paying for a fancy phone. He buys a magic kit at a garage sale and plan a show at school, where they will charge $1 per person. This angers the school's Magic Club, and they make a deal with Lex that if he can get out of a locker ala Harry Houdini, they will let him keep the proceeds. He doesn't, of course, and the principal has to call firefighters to get him out of the locker. The trio thinks about snowblowing, but land on the idea of selling greeting cards at a local artists' fair. They do well, and earn $937. When Lex finds out that the Lazy Bacon book store might have to close, he offers the money to his parents, but they tell him not to worry about it. They get an extension loan, and eight months later are doing okay. At the end of the book, DJ arrives to tell Lex that Cassandra has a Ginormous problem, and we will get to read about that in the upcoming Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Elementary schools might want to look into this, but Lex and his friends seem a bit young for middle school readers. It seemed unrealistic that the principal wouldn't have a key to the locker to get Lex out; there are at least five of us at my school who could get a child out of a locker, and this has never once been an issue. The parents' business struggles are realistic, but solved much too easily. I'm all for children opening businesses and trying to make money, but $937 seems like a lot to earn selling handmade greeting cards. Readers who enjoyed Miller, Canino, and Luu's Besties: Work it Out or Doucet's Art Club will want to take a look at this new series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Okay I have to be upfront; co-author Cassidy Dyce is my sister. But I promise that has nothing to do with why this book is genuinely so good!
The Brainstormerz: Money Talks had me grinning the whole way through. Lex, DJ, and Cass are such a lovable trio and watching them brainstorm, fail spectacularly, dust themselves off, and try something completely different to help their friend? It just gets you. The whole book has this wonderful energy of kids being kids; messy; creative, and determined.
What hit me most was how naturally it weaves in the message of perseverance. It’s not preachy. Nobody sits down and gives a speech about not giving up. These kids just… keep going. They wake up the next day and try again. And somehow that lands harder than any lesson ever could.
The vocabulary scattered throughout is such a smart touch too; you almost don’t notice it happening, which is exactly how good learning works.
Cassidy co-authored this with NYT best selling author Kwame Alexander and illustrator Rashad Doucet, and together the three of them made something really special. But I’ll say this about my sister specifically: her voice is distinguishably warm, her storytelling instincts are sharp, and this is only the beginning for her.
Buy this for the kids in your life. Read it yourself. Then wait impatiently for book two like I will be
The Brainstormerz: Money Talks had me grinning the whole way through. Lex, DJ, and Cass are such a lovable trio and watching them brainstorm, fail spectacularly, dust themselves off, and try something completely different to help their friend? It just gets you. The whole book has this wonderful energy of kids being kids; messy; creative, and determined.
What hit me most was how naturally it weaves in the message of perseverance. It’s not preachy. Nobody sits down and gives a speech about not giving up. These kids just… keep going. They wake up the next day and try again. And somehow that lands harder than any lesson ever could.
The vocabulary scattered throughout is such a smart touch too; you almost don’t notice it happening, which is exactly how good learning works.
Cassidy co-authored this with NYT best selling author Kwame Alexander and illustrator Rashad Doucet, and together the three of them made something really special. But I’ll say this about my sister specifically: her voice is distinguishably warm, her storytelling instincts are sharp, and this is only the beginning for her.
Buy this for the kids in your life. Read it yourself. Then wait impatiently for book two like I will be
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
I am so happy that a brand new group of readers will be exposed to the gift of storytelling by Kwame Alexander! This is the start of a fantastic series about a trio of friends, and in this first book they try to earn money, which results in some humorous mishaps.
I am so happy that a brand new group of readers will be exposed to the gift of storytelling by Kwame Alexander! This is the start of a fantastic series about a trio of friends, and in this first book they try to earn money, which results in some humorous mishaps.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to LYBR/LB Ink for this hilarious MG graphic novel. I loved the entrepreneurial spirit of the kids and tenacity to keep coming up with new ways to earn money, and their kindness when a new cause popped up for the money they earned. The vocabulary spoofs were highly entertaining!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is a fun friendship story with an elevated vocabulary since Lex’s dad makes him read the dictionary.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews