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The Band of Bigs: A Hilarious Spy Story about Secret Agents, Siblings, and Pets for Middle Grade Readers
The Band of Bigs defends and protects the interests of big siblings around the globe—no matter what mischief their little siblings get up to. This hilarious, action-packed sequel to the graphic novel The League of Littles takes sibling rivalry to a whole new level. Perfect for fans of Bad Guys and Babymouse.
When an eldest sibling is locked out of the house by his younger twin brothers during his very first time babysitting, four Band of Bigs agents—including a new recruit—are on the case. But their job is complicated by three League of Littles agents defending the younger siblings inside. When siblings go head-to-head, things are bound to get a little messy. Okay, maybe a lot messy.
Full of hilarious hijinks, friendship, pets, and cookies, this graphic novel is sure to delight young middle graders. The short page count, humor, and fast-paced action makes it an excellent choice for newly independent readers and fans of Babymouse, Lunch Lady, and the Bad Guys.
When an eldest sibling is locked out of the house by his younger twin brothers during his very first time babysitting, four Band of Bigs agents—including a new recruit—are on the case. But their job is complicated by three League of Littles agents defending the younger siblings inside. When siblings go head-to-head, things are bound to get a little messy. Okay, maybe a lot messy.
Full of hilarious hijinks, friendship, pets, and cookies, this graphic novel is sure to delight young middle graders. The short page count, humor, and fast-paced action makes it an excellent choice for newly independent readers and fans of Babymouse, Lunch Lady, and the Bad Guys.
128 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2026
About the author
Casey Lyall
14 books160 followersCasey Lyall lives in Southwestern Ontario where she also works at her local library. When she’s not writing, Casey loves to bake, doodle, and learn extremely groan-worthy jokes to tell her friends.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a cute book, part of a series of different birth order kids teaming up to fight against other birth order kids. By that, just because they are called “bigs” only means that they are the oldest in the family. The littles are the youngest in the family, and the middle are the ones in the middle.
As a middle child, I can relate to that part.
The bigs have a hamster who knows the computer, and a new member who no one listens to, which is very relatable for children of age groups.
The story is very simple, and quick to read. The littles want to prove they don’t have to be babysat, so they lock out the oldest child to prove they can be responsible on their own. That is when the band of Bigs comes in to help save the day.
The story is wakey. The little set up all sort of booby-traps so that the bigger kids can try to sneak into the house without them knowing.
I’m sure middle-grade kids will love this sort of story, because they know well how they are not taken as seriously as the older kids in the family. The illustrations are fun.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book comes out on the 23rd of June 2026.
As a middle child, I can relate to that part.
The bigs have a hamster who knows the computer, and a new member who no one listens to, which is very relatable for children of age groups.
The story is very simple, and quick to read. The littles want to prove they don’t have to be babysat, so they lock out the oldest child to prove they can be responsible on their own. That is when the band of Bigs comes in to help save the day.
The story is wakey. The little set up all sort of booby-traps so that the bigger kids can try to sneak into the house without them knowing.
I’m sure middle-grade kids will love this sort of story, because they know well how they are not taken as seriously as the older kids in the family. The illustrations are fun.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book comes out on the 23rd of June 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This series divides up siblings into the following teams: The Band of Bigs for the oldest siblings, the Middles and Onlys Guild for middle children or only child, and finally the League of Littles for the youngest sibling in the family. Every member of each team work as an agent with some in training mode. The first book of the series focused on the League of Littles who worked on a case of a missing pet. This sophomore entry is focused on the Band of Bigs team with members Tucker, Rosa, Jamie (in training), and Chester the hamster. The Band of Bigs help Kent who was babysitting his younger brothers who tricked him into going outside then locking him out. Kent offered to babysit his brothers to prove to his parents that he is becoming more responsible so he can take on more babysitting jobs. The situation becomes more untenable to solve when the League of Littles become involved and support the youngsters inside the house. The next thing you know even the Middles and Onlys Guild enter the picture.
This book is geared towards younger readers but overall I found it rather confusing with all the extraneous characters (10 characters including the hamster). It just got too convoluted and then I no longer recognize if a character was a Big, Little or Middle/Only. The artwork was enjoyable but the story not so much. The character hijinks probably will be entertaining for the younger crowd but I just found it silly and eye-rolling.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
This book is geared towards younger readers but overall I found it rather confusing with all the extraneous characters (10 characters including the hamster). It just got too convoluted and then I no longer recognize if a character was a Big, Little or Middle/Only. The artwork was enjoyable but the story not so much. The character hijinks probably will be entertaining for the younger crowd but I just found it silly and eye-rolling.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4 stars
Now _The League of Littles_ is a banger, but as a proud oldest child, I have to stick with my people: oldest children, unite!
This follow up to the aforementioned title focuses - as promised - on the oldest siblings, or the "bigs" in the family. Both groups, littles and bigs, are distinct from the middle and only group, who must join forces because one never gets enough attention and the other doesn't know what it's like to fight for it constantly.
This time, the bigs get a distress signal. When a bunch of the littles gang up on a fellow big, who is trying to prove himself as a trusted babysitter, well, all heck breaks loose. Even the animals get involved. The real fun happens when the middles and onlies join the party.
I'm endlessly entertained by the basic structure of this series and - even as a whole adult - am highly amused by some of the assumptions we make about ourselves and each other based on birth order and family structure. This series is a kick for middle grade readers, and it's totally palatable and manageable. These books are short and engaging, age appropriate, and effectively humorous. I can't wait to see what's on tap next (especially if it features the middle and only kids this time)!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Greenwillow Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Now _The League of Littles_ is a banger, but as a proud oldest child, I have to stick with my people: oldest children, unite!
This follow up to the aforementioned title focuses - as promised - on the oldest siblings, or the "bigs" in the family. Both groups, littles and bigs, are distinct from the middle and only group, who must join forces because one never gets enough attention and the other doesn't know what it's like to fight for it constantly.
This time, the bigs get a distress signal. When a bunch of the littles gang up on a fellow big, who is trying to prove himself as a trusted babysitter, well, all heck breaks loose. Even the animals get involved. The real fun happens when the middles and onlies join the party.
I'm endlessly entertained by the basic structure of this series and - even as a whole adult - am highly amused by some of the assumptions we make about ourselves and each other based on birth order and family structure. This series is a kick for middle grade readers, and it's totally palatable and manageable. These books are short and engaging, age appropriate, and effectively humorous. I can't wait to see what's on tap next (especially if it features the middle and only kids this time)!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Greenwillow Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
July 3, 2026
Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books | Greenwillow Books through NetGalley.
Lyall offers a different look at the relationships and competition from the Bigs side in this second story. This time, the Band of Bigs steps in to help a big brother who is locked out by his younger siblings. When they arrive, they discover the Littles are inside helping the siblings and have set booby traps everywhere. The sibling rivalry between the two hero groups escalates which brings in a third set of heroes from M.O.G - Middle and Only children. The three groups argue and then discuss what went wrong and what worked well for the Littles and the Bigs. All ends well but each group
The artwork is fun to study, and the characters are drawn realistically. I love the wide variety of facial expressions used to help readers connect. The overall plot works but gets bogged down at times with abrupt jumps and little real communication.
I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books | Greenwillow Books through NetGalley.
Lyall offers a different look at the relationships and competition from the Bigs side in this second story. This time, the Band of Bigs steps in to help a big brother who is locked out by his younger siblings. When they arrive, they discover the Littles are inside helping the siblings and have set booby traps everywhere. The sibling rivalry between the two hero groups escalates which brings in a third set of heroes from M.O.G - Middle and Only children. The three groups argue and then discuss what went wrong and what worked well for the Littles and the Bigs. All ends well but each group
The artwork is fun to study, and the characters are drawn realistically. I love the wide variety of facial expressions used to help readers connect. The overall plot works but gets bogged down at times with abrupt jumps and little real communication.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
The illustrations in this series are fun, but the books are just kind of... mean. Younger readers will enjoy the over-the-top feel of these humorous books, but I was left feeling that the siblings should have worked together rather than resorting to hanging out with groups of the same birth order. Clearly, I'm just not the target demographic for this series, and it will be popular with readers who enjoy the goofy humor of Barnett and Harris' The First Cat in Space or Blabey's Cat on the Run series.
The illustrations in this series are fun, but the books are just kind of... mean. Younger readers will enjoy the over-the-top feel of these humorous books, but I was left feeling that the siblings should have worked together rather than resorting to hanging out with groups of the same birth order. Clearly, I'm just not the target demographic for this series, and it will be popular with readers who enjoy the goofy humor of Barnett and Harris' The First Cat in Space or Blabey's Cat on the Run series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Action-packed! Adorable! Fast-paced and full of comedy. This is what kids want to read! This book is the second in the series and now we're with the older siblings. A fellow big has been trusted by his parents with his first babysitting gig only to be locked out of the house by his younger siblings. The crew of older siblings must help him defeat the the littles' traps and hijinks. And the middles and only children twist at the end!! Can't wait for their book next. Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy
Review submitted to School Library Journal for potential professional publication.
Review of advance copy
Absolutely enjoyed the illustrations on this one. Cute storyline for sure!
Read
July 13, 2026Good book.
Appropriate language for young children.
Hilarious 😂.
Daughter loved it.
Rate 5/10
Appropriate language for young children.
Hilarious 😂.
Daughter loved it.
Rate 5/10
July 24, 2026
This was cute, but all the new characters made it more difficult to follow.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews