Villain Con

Katie the Catsitter #5

by Colleen A.F. Venable

Welcome to Villain Con! Is Katie the Catsitter actually a villain?! Find out in this bestselling girl (and cat) power graphic novel series that’s perfect for fans of Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins, and anyone who loves cats!

Sometimes the line between villain and hero can be hard to see.

Middle school is a roller coaster and lately Katie doesn't know which way is up or down, who's a hero...and who's a villain. Even the people she cares about most keep surprising her. Are Katie's best friends leaving her behind?! Katie just wants things to stay the same--but is she holding her friends...and herself back? Maybe it's time for a change. Afterall, Madeline is running for mayor to try to change things in the city. Maybe Katie's changing too. And maybe some of the things she thought she knew about villains--and about heroes--were wrong. Is Katie ready to move forward...even if means moving away from her friends?

Get ready for more friendship and fun, more drama and disguises (and cats, definitely more cats!) in Katie the Catsitter: Villain Con!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Cats, Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Graphic Novels Comics

218 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2026

About the author

You might know me from such films as "Colleen's Fourth Birthday Party" and "Colleen Falls Down Over and Over Again While Ice Skating."

Fun facts!
-I have a huge connect-the-dots tattoo.
-I accidentally started an international holiday.
(See National Pancake Day or Lumberjack Day, every Sept 26)
-I once sang back-up on an album nominated for the Polka Grammy.
-I can't sing.
-When I was 18, I broke a national coed jump-rope record.

My debut YA graphic novel Kiss Number 8 was a National Book Award Longlist title, an Eisner nominee, and a Prism award finalist.

My graphic novel series Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye (illustrated by Stephanie Yue) was nominated for an Eisner for Best Publication for Kids and awarded “Best Book” recognition from Kirkus Reviews, NYPL, Bank Street, and the Junior Library Guild.

I grew up in the trees of Walden, New York….well, not very high up the trees, since I always got scared, but I did carve my name in a lot of low hanging boughs. I had an older sister, a dog, a cat, a million fish, and an imaginary pet hamster named, yup you guessed it, Hamisher. Why have an imaginary friend when you can have an imaginary friend that can fit in your pocket!

I went to Wagner College and double majored in English and Studio Art, winning the award of “biggest dork” (aka first in my class)

I love graphic novels more than I love having feet and I really do love having feet. They keep my shoes on.

Pssst My name is actually spelled Colleen AF Venable. No punctuation. My birth name was Colleen Ann Venable, but in 1994 I asked to change my middle name to Felicity, because that's the sort of thing you do when you are 14. So I started to go by Colleen AF...mostly because I was bad at typing periods. The internet either ruined my name or made it SO MUCH COOLER. You can decide.

Reviews

[CookieCat]

✨️HAVE NOT READ YET LOL✨️

Eeeeee. I love the plot of this! I'll see u in June!!!! 🥰🥳🤞

[Lil]

This series continues to bring me immense joy in so many ways and it’s not just because my beloved girl Charlotte is immortalized in it ❤️

[Everly]

Madeline for Mayor!

[Allison Jarvis]

I’m still so thrilled that this series exists and kids get to read this. Colleen Venable is so sneaky! On the surface it is about cats who are superheroes, but there’s also the plot where Katie’s neighbor, Madeline, is running for mayor because she wants to make a real difference in her city. I’ve never seen a story that tackles politics and voting in such a graceful way. Any young audience can read this and understand the impacts that leadership has on a community and the individual people in it. It never talks down to the audience, never over explains or gets preachy, and there wasn’t one moment where I was bored. It was funny and entertaining, and now I’m inspired to go out and get involved in my community. Colleen, Stephanie, please don’t stop making Katie the Catsitter books! Keep inspiring our kids to take over the world!!

[YSBR]

After many exciting adventures battling supervillains and saving New York City from evil robots, Katie the Catsitter is happy for a slightly calmer (though no less stressful) assignment: supporting her superhero mentor Madeline Lang, aka  The Mousetress,  in her mayoral campaign.  Madeline is running to unseat the smarmy Mayor McDean, who has banned all superhero activity in the city (including spandex and grappling hooks) and seems to have formed an alliance with the villains.  Katie works to gather signatures to get Madeline on the ballot, helps her with debate prep, and promotes her pro-education, pro-animal rights platform, all while negotiating some sticky social stuff within her friend group, especially with her best friend Beth.  Beth reveals that she has auditioned to attend an elite performing arts school, and Katie is devastated at the idea that they won’t be together the next school year, and the slight rift that results has a ripple effect among their other friends. 

When Madeline’s campaign team (consisting of neighbors Benito and James, Katie and her mother, as well as Madeline’s 200 superskilled cats) seek to uncover the Mayor’s connection with the city’s villains, Katie and her mom go undercover to Villain Con, a convention being held at Coney Island.  While there, Katie is surprised to encounter some of her friends and their families, and begins to wonder how she can ever be sure who is a villain and who is a hero.  The political plot thickens as teachers are being replaced due to suspected heroism and people are getting arrested on the streets for doing kind acts, all leading up to the candidates’ debate on the eve of the election.  There is a great deal of tension while Katie and company wait for the results of the election as well as Beth’s audition; neither turns out quite as expected but both lead to meaningful change.

Unlike other books in this popular series, Villain Con is mostly talk and not a lot of action.  Katie’s fans might be disappointed by the lack of fighting, high-tech gadgetry, and superhero activity, but will certainly enjoy the dramatic twists and turns of both the mayoral race and the friendship issues.  As always, Katie is trying to balance her work as Madeline’s sidekick with her social life; keeping Madeline’s true identity a secret is harder than ever in this installment but also seems to be less crucial.  Readers will take to heart the many not-so-subtle social justice-themed messages embedded in the story: teachers as the real superheroes, the importance of election integrity and voting rights, and the value of self-identity and self-expression.  The illustration style is reminiscent of many popular graphic novel artists, but the attention to detail is noteworthy.  Fast-paced scenes with lots of snappy dialog are presented in an easy-to-follow panel format; pop culture references, humorous superhero names, and the identification of each cat’s special talent (“Boumi: Haberdasher; Jolie: Hacker”) will warrant multiple re-reads.  Notes from the author and illustrator are included at the end, featuring highlights of their recent joint book tour. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Nancy]

This is my favorite middle grade graphic novel series. It's hilarious and fantastical while also tackling real life issues. In this one, Katie is trying to help her superhero neighbor run for mayor while also realizing that her plans for her friends and for herself may need to change as they grow into different interests.

Per usual, the cat content was perfection. I laughed so many times at their antics. Katie's difficulty adjusting to the idea that her friends have different hobbies, hobbies that might mean they go to different high schools, was realistic. Katie at a couple of points displays poor friend behavior and gets called on it.

I really enjoyed the politics storyline in this issue, at least until the very end. In the real world, politicians are decrying rigged elections without proof. To imply that the villain in this story was able to control the post office and rig the election reinforced a dangerous message that politicians are likely to do this and can do it easily. I would have been more comfortable with this plot point if there were a supernatural element at play, but placing it in a real world context was unsettling. With such a casual defiance of democracy, young readers may leave thinking that this is the norm for unlikable politicians. This was a 4.5 star story until that ending, which knocked my enjoyment down a half star.

[Barbara]

Catlovers will get a kick, maybe even a purr or two from this graphic novel series featuring quite a collection of talented cats who live with Katie the Catsitter's neighbor, Madeline, who is running for city mayor with a platform urging change. Of course, Katie is involved in her campaign even as she wonders about the changes she's noticing in her friends and herself. While several friends seem interested in attending a school focused on the performing arts, that doesn't seem particularly appealing to Katie despite her efforts to summon interest in it. Maybe she's more interested in attending the school that they've always regarded as a villain. As many readers will realize, the line between villain and hero isn't always all that clear. Fans of the Babysitter Club will surely enjoy this one just as much.

[Geordie]

As this series goes on it gets more and more ridiculous and bloated with side characters. But it IS still funny, witty, and right on target for its intended audience. Adults (and cynics - you know, like me) might be annoyed by the absurdity and uneven tone (it turns out the vast majority of supervillains became supervillains to fight some societal wrong, not because of greed, ego, or destructive tendencies - which both contradicts what we saw in previous books, and also feels extremely Pollyanna). However, it's an engaging read for the target middle-school audience, even with some appropriate (though not heavy-handed) morals slipped in.

In short, I enjoyed some of the jokes, character arcs and cute cats; but this is definitely a book for kids.

[Andrew Dittmar]

Katie the Catsitter: The Animated Series NOW.

I demand this.


Katie the Catsitter, book #5: Villain Con by Colleen AF Venable & Stephanie Yue


Reading history:
Normally I keep this in my private notes section, but I'm moving it. Yay!

Reading history was not added on Goodreads, but was instead kept on a small piece of paper with the book.



Started July 11th, 2026.
Finished July 12th, 2026.


July 11th, 2026: read chapters 1-6 (pp. 1-100) + chapter 7 (pp. 101-105) in physical copy.

July 12th, 2026: read chapter 7 (pp. 106-110) + chapters 8-13 (pp. 111-213) in physical copy.

[Kate]

Another delightful episode in the Katie the Catsitter series! I really like Katie and how her character
is developing... specifically her growth in balancing what she wants vs what her friends want her to do. I like that the idea of what a villain is and isn't was explored. As always, I admire Madeline and her fight for animals, and it was interesting to see her growth in this book around her campaign to become Mayor. And LOVE all the cats and the fun descriptions throughout the book that connect their names connect to their particular skills or talent! Looking very much forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Emma Martin]

This is amazing!! A perfect ending to our beloved series. It's thanks to my little sister that I was one of the first to read this; the day it came out she encouraged me to put a hold on it at our library. So you can be assured it is a big hit with middle schoolers, as well as young adults like me who like a fun, light read :)

I'm so glad Katie stays true to herself even amidst some changes to her friend group and favorite heroes. Loved learning more about the backstory of Mrs. Piper and the mayor! And Lupe's family!!

[Becky]

Another solid book in this reliably entertaining series. As the current major continues his corruption, Katie helps Madeline run for mayor. Katie’s friendships are strained as interests diverge and draw them apart. This book doesn’t have much in the way of superhero hijinks and adventure, but it’s packed with beloved side characters, puns and dozens of skilled cats. I read a physical library book (because we left our indie-purchased book in Idaho!) with my 8-year old. The illustrations and coloring are fantastic.

[Pam]

Graphic Novel
This fifth story brings readers along as Katie and her friends start looking toward their future. Some of them audition for a different school and urge Katie to do the same. I appreciate how Venable presents peer pressure and figuring out when to go along and when to be true to yourself. This is set against the background of the mayor banning heroes. The other subplot weaving through involves Madeleine. She runs for mayor. Again, I appreciate how the author represents a campaign as Katie would see it. A light read with some important messages.

[Crystal books_inthewild]

I really enjoy this series- and I love recommending it to my students!

It’s got a silly side to it (how can it not? With those cats!!!) and also a serious side, that tackles some great topics.

Perfect for middle grade readers who like realistic fiction & animals!

[Sofia M Wilbur]

This contains huge spoilers . do u still want to read this? If u have not read book, don't read this.







HAVE NOT READ YET

[Simone]

Not the best book in the series, but still so much fun! I feel like these books are the spiritual successors to Squirrel Girl by Ryan North.

[Leslie Young]

I love this series so much!! Katie is such a good character, and I loved the storyline of this one. And as always, the cats were so fun!!

[Rebekah]

Another great book in the series. I was laughing out loud.

A good about friendship, politics, and inevitable chamge that happens in life.

[Ksenia]

This series brings me such joy! More, please!

[Hanna]

This is NYC politics esp with the schools completion and such. I feel the series from the last book waning away front the crime fighter injustice I wanted.

[Mia Mischief]

Chloe made me read this series and I regret nothing.

[liz]

4/5

I loved the romance sideplot with Arelene❤️❤️❤️