Heroes of the Dustbin

Janitors #5

by Tyler Whitesides

Although their enemies are powerful, their allies few, Spencer and his team of Rebels are not giving up! But what chance do a handful of kids and one rescued janitor have against the combined evil of the Founding Witches and the Sweepers? Can the Rebels close the source of all Glop and stop the Toxites once and for all—or is the world doomed to fall under the control of the sinister Bureau of Educational Maintenance? This explosive series finale is a gripping ride through conflicted loyalties and daring escapes, unexpected alliances and betrayals, and an ending you'll never forget!

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Teen, Young Adult

408 pages, Hardcover

First published September 8, 2015

Reviews

[Shanda]

I remember the first time I met Tyler Whitesides, a few months before his new book, Janitors, was due to be released. He told me about his new book, the first in a series, and I thought it sounded like a fun and unique adventure. Fast forward to today, as I review the last book in the Janitors series, and I can honestly say it has been a lot of fun. A little gross at times for the germaphobic, but always an adventure.

Our characters are in dire circumstances as the story begins, reeling after the loss of mentors and the continuing disappearances of allies. Spencer and Daisy must decide whether to trust former enemies and bear the responsibility of rescuing their Rebel allies. Secrets are uncovered that change everything, and their situation seems impossible.

I sailed through the book, anxious to see what happened from chapter to chapter. Tyler did a great job of keeping the pace going, surprising me and, as usual, making me laugh. He knows how to include the details with enough entertainment to keep young readers (and adults like me) engaged in the story. The creative use of every day janitorial items is clever and I still really want a set of magic squeegees.

Spencer, Daisy, and Dez, while still the same characters we know, have also grown both in experience and friendship. They’ve learned to appreciate each other and make sacrifices. Well, at least Spencer and Daisy have, though Dez surprised me more than once. As the story ends, I believe there is hope for him yet.

I found Heroes of the Dustbin to be a fast moving and satisfying conclusion to the Janitors series, and I think other fans will as well. This series is perfect for engaging the imaginations of young readers. I know many middle grade readers have enjoyed Tyler’s books, and I hope many more discover this series as they explore the possibilities that exist in the world of reading.

**Review originally published on LDS Women's Book Review -- ldswbr.com.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spencer, Daisy and Dez start this final book in a desperate situation. The Rebels are disappearing and things aren't going their way. As they figure out what they need to do next, the task seems impossible. They can't afford to lose, though, so they set off to accomplish it. Of course, that just leads to the next task and this book doesn't let up until the very end.

I have enjoyed this series from the very beginning and this was a fabulous way to end it! Spencer, Daisy and Dez have come a long way together. Spencer and Daisy are never quite sure which side Dez is on and there are times that they need to trust him and hope he comes through for them. There's never a dull moment as they go from one situation to the next with hardly any down time.

I've read this entire series with my children (it was originally a Costco find for me) and we have been thoroughly entertained while reading about trash, toxites, glopified cleaning supplies, Rebels, Witches, Sweepers and, of course, elementary school janitors! My children asked to keep reading more chapters frequently and I was glad because I wanted to continue reading, too! Questions are answered and there is an unlikely hero in the end. It's a fun, creative, entertaining series, for both kids and adults! I am a Tyler Whitesides fan and I look forward to reading what he comes up with next!

I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.

Mel's Shelves

[Nathan Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done!!!!! Excellent series. I throughly enjoyed this series. Borrowed the first two books from my grandpa, Jay Monson, to read years ago. He really enjoyed them. So very glad to have read them this year, 2025, finally. :) Very entertaining. Good morals and gospel truths here if you’re religious. If not, still good morals and values. Started the series in January and finished them the very beginning of February. Very thankful for this series. Thank you thank you. Well worth my time.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Tyler Whitesides! I love the way he wrapped up the story, and brought it to an end. My only hang up through out this series is that Spencer seems far too mature for his age, but being the oldest and very responsible leads one to feel that maybe a child this young could be as willing to fight evil as much as him and his best friend Daisy do. The school bully turns his life around pretty well through this series as well. While I completely understand Spencer not wanting to trust the bully, I do kinda wish Spencer was a bit more nice to him. The pacing in this book is really good, just as I found it to be throughout the whole series. Overall this book, and series is fun, adventurous, exciting, and original!

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"'Do you think Dez is different?' 'Different from what?' Spencer asked. 'From how he used to be.' 'We all are.'"

This series was just as fun and exciting as I remember, an easy reentry after not reading for so long. The majority of the characters never really have any true development over the course of the series but that wasn't really why I was reading. Each book feels like a puzzle box, setting up stakes, themes, and lots of Chekov's guns in the first few chapters, throwing in new, engaging magical tools in each new book, and lots of fun, heist-y plans to wrap up each entry. Reading all five books back to back was a little grating, especially since the majority of the supporting cast is basically caricatures with the repeated bits like Daisy's gullible nature or Dez's mispronouncing getting tiring. I though the way that characters would repeatedly betray each side of the battle was interesting (reminded me of The Scorch Trials) but also became tiresome after how often it happened (up to four or five times in a single book). The overarching story was compelling enough, but the real appeal was the reveals that would come around in each book referencing old characters or details that hadn't mattered for a good while. My favorites were definitely the 3rd and 4th books, but the ending was surprisingly satisfying and caught me off guard with how the stakes were actually wrapped up. Overall, a fun children's book series that deals with some surprisingly deep themes of loyalty, honesty, and courage that should be WAY more acclaimed.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to the whole series again as my youngest son commandeers my phone to enjoy the audio book.
Spencer and Daisy finish out the 5th in the series of the Janitors. These kids join forces with School janitors who have secret powers and use seemingly mundane cleaning tools to combat anthromorphic grimes, filths, and other evil creatures.

It is hard to not love it a little more, when a struggling reader is delighted in every plot twist and character. His enthusiasm is infectious. I definitely love listening with him and would recommend for a middle grade reader boy or girl.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids and I listened to the audiobook version. They loved it. I thought it was good. The one thing we all struggled with was how mean every one was to Dez and what a vital role he played.

[Christopher H]

Janitors book 5 hero of the dustbin by Tyler Whitesides, was a good book. The book takes setting in many, many places, which are: Welcher, texas, Welcher elementary, the landfill, The dustbin, and New forest academy. The main character in this book are Spencer Zumbro, Daisy Gates, Marv, The 10 Aurans, the 3 dark Aurans, Holga, Belzora, Ninfa, Dez Rylie , Alan Zumbro, Penny, Mr. Clean, Bernard, and Bookworm. At the beginning of the book Spencer was committed to stop toxites forever, and getting revenge on the founding witches and Mr. Clean for Killing Walter Jamison. Spencer also wants to help the Dark Aurans (Sach, Olin, and Aryl) By helping them to close the dustbin and unpan them. They also need ingredients to close the dustbin, which one of them is to get a hair from one of the Founding witches, but a mission like that…. It’s suicide…..Or so they thought. One of the dark aurans has created….bleach? This wasn’t any ordinary bleach, in fact it was the opposite of ordinary. This bleach made you invisible. So this opportunity made it possible to get a hair from the witches. Lucky for Spencer Daisy, they found a brush with a lot of witches hair in it. They also found….soapsuds? These soapsuds made it possible for the witches to spy on everyone. Then comes the battle. The battle at the landfill that Walter Jamison had always predicted that would happen.

Spencer has changed a lot throughout the series, and even more in this book. Spencer has a phobia of….Germs? Weird phobia if you work with a bunch of Janitors and has to use a….Spit sponge? Spencer has glopified a sponge that spits glop on stuff and makes it glopified. Spencer hates this tool very much because it is disgusting. But, spencer is beginning to get used to the gross stuff of this operation. At the end of the book Spencer isn’t afraid of germs, well, not all the way.
Overall…..This book is one of the best books I have ever read. My favorite scene of the book is when Bookworm is fighting the Hoarder, which surprised me even more when Bookworm actually won the giant thingamajunk. My favorite characters in this book are probably: Dez, Daisy, and Spencer. Well, that’s all until the next series that I read is on goodreads.

[Sheila (sheilasbookreviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading the first book thinking how creative the idea was behind the Janitors book. As a teacher, I was amused by the thought of there really being something behind my students that are always daydreaming and dozing off in the middle of class. The premise behind this series is that Toxites have infiltrated schools and inhibit learning in a variety of ways. They are usually invisible to students, and janitors have been fighting them and the corrupt Bureau of Educational Maintenance, to help students continue to learn. With the help of magical properties, cleaning tools and supplies are used as weapons against the growing threat to education. I wish I had the time to list out how many different cleaning products/tools have been used in this series. It's amazing how they are used and what they do. Kids really love this part of Janitors! You will honestly never look at a spray bottle of Windex or a mop the same way again.

Our reluctant heroes in the series have been Spencer and Daisy, two friends that find themselves caught up in the middle of a great war between the BEM and Rebel Janitors. There have been many good guys that have turned bad, and some bad that have turned out to be good, and the reader is always kept on their toes trying to figure it all out.

This series is perfect for kids ages 8-14 and any teen and adult who likes a great fantasy in this world. The fifth book has found Spencer and Daisy in a sticky situation where they are some of the only people left, along with the bully from their school, Dez, to save the imprisoned Rebel Janitors, defeat the Founding witches, Belzora, Ninfa and Holga, and destroy the source of the Toxites, which just happens to be at their school. You can see the growth of the sixth graders and how they really have to rely on each other and their strengths, which turn out to be bravery, loyalty and selflessness. There are some great surprises here and it does end with that bang that you were hoping for. I recommend that this series be read in the correct order(Books 1-5) because the story line builds upon each book until the climactic end. You will be glad that you jumped into the world of Janitors.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 5 of the Janitors series and final book. I have read only 2 of the books and would suggest you read them in order would be best. So you wouldn't know who were the heroes or who were the villains. Since all the answers are revealed in this book.

Janitors are the good guys. Cleaning tools are weapons and tools. Depends on who or what changed them. There are rebels who are fighting the sinister Bureau of Educational Maintenance.

The schools are battlefields. They are making kids not want to learn, daydreams trying to ruin education.

Another setting is a garbage dump. A big one. With garbage monsters that talk trash.

This series is creative, the heroes are not what you expect them to be. People keep surprising you for good or bad.
Spit can be a good tool.
There are monsters, witches, sweepers and kids with half monsters. It is a exciting series with surprises around the corners.
It is a clean read or dirty one. That is filth as in mud, trash and glop. It is a fun book to read.

Someday I would like the time to read all 5 books in a row in this series. That way I won't forget who is supposed to be the good or bad guys.

I was given this ebook to read for free so I could give a honest review of Janitors 5 : Heroes of the Dustbin and be part of it's blog tour.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whitesides has done it again. He's written another winner. I was eager to find out what was going to happen to Spencer and Daisy and their allies in this fifth and final volume of the Janitors series. After the somewhat shocking end of book four I was definitely anxious to see hour it would all end. And Whitesides did not disappoint. Things start off with a bang when Spencer's family is taken by the BEM in an effort to force him to reveal the location of the bronze nails. This series has been a delight to read with the imaginative use of everyday objects in magical ways. I've admired the author's ability to make seemingly boring objects (toilet plungers, cleaning sprays, etc.) exciting and fun. And once again, new inventions and possibilities are introduced (drain cleaner that eats through walls and floors for example). The book moves quickly into the action and doesn't let up until the end, which one would expect from the final book in a series. I found the ending very satisfying and even a bit surprising. The author manages to integrate plenty of surprises in terms of plot and character which made for a great read. I'm actually sad that the series is over. I very much look forward to reading more from this author and seeing what else he comes up with.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, wonderful ending! Both my wife and I think it would make a great movie and that we were totally visualizing how it would look. It is very well thought out!

Second reading - I think at least just as highly of it this time around. The ending is not quite what you expect, but that makes it all the greater in my opinion!

[Spencer R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spencer and his team of rebel janitors have finally found the source of all toxicites. So, with few allies and and only one weapon that can destroy the source, they went in head on. As Spencer was so close to destroying the source, his weapon got destroyed! Everything was looking hopeless until Dez, one of Spencer's friends, accidentally landed in the source! Dez recovered, but there was something different. When they got home all of the toxicites were still there but instead of being mean and ugly, they were fuzzy and friendly. This unexpected turn of events actually created good toxicites that help kids with learning. Spencer, with his team of rebel janitors, had finally saved education.

The theme of the book "Janitors: Heroes of the Dustbin" is persistence leads to success. In the book Spencer and the rebel janitors had to face many challenges such as; losing important people and trying to find a weapon that could destroy the source. Although, they kept pushing forward and moving on until they actually won the battle. This is also shown when the rebel janitors only had a few people left to help them. This shows the theme because it gives the conflict and shows the rebels overcoming those conflicts by never giving up. Because the characters had persistence, they were able to overcome struggles. In conclusion, the theme of the book "Janitors: Heroes of the Dustbin" is that through persistence, many things can be achieved.

Overall, I really really liked this book! It was by far the best book in the series and had many pleasing twists and turns. The most surprising part was the ending where the toxicites turned good. This book is very adventurous and intense, so I would recommend it to people who like that. All in all, this was a great book and was a good one to end the series on.

[Kaela Batson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a few issues with this book/series.
#1 Spencer's mom finds out early on about toxites and what they do, yet continues to send her kids to a school that she knows is infested with them. Even where he son is sent to a "safe" school she continues to send her other kids there. As a mom I cannot imagine doing that.
#2 Spencer has the power to degropifly things but NEVER uses it. He complains about all these things being glopified but then doesn't do squat to take it away.
#3 In the first book they say you can only glopify things Janitors use but then by the end we are just glopifying anything and everything.
But really it was a fun read and I would recommend it to any one, especially with younger kids. We listened to it and my 5 year old loved it!

[Matthew Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It's fun and funny. 1 quote I really enjoyed is "and in this corner..." I enjoyed it because it's a really intense part in the book and it kind of helps lighten the mood. It's also said by one of my favorite characters dr. bernard weizman. He's just a really funny, weird, and quirky. He says some of the funniest things in the book.
One theme I noticed in the book is trusting each other. Often the heroes are skeptical about trusting a certain character who often betrays their trust. But in the end he proves himself trustworthy which surprised me.
Overall I think this is a great book with something in it for everybody.

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this, the final entry in the "Janitors" series, our heroes seem horribly outnumbered and outmaneuvered. The three witches who were supposed to be allies are now planning on destroying education and taking over the world. Most of the good guys are captured. The few who are left have to come up with a dangerous plan using gloppified cleaning supplies. This is a rip-roaring end to the series, with constant action and lots of adventure. This is not a series you can skim. Whitesides has created a complete world with its own unusual rules. Those who like complex fantasy will appreciate the series.

[Gable Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot happening in this book but I am glad the author didn't use that as an reason to split the story into two parts. But it also made the story feel very choppy with many ups and downs and what not.

There was a twist at the end... And I guess the twist was fitting with the rest of the story. But in the wrap-up after everything was resolved I just found myself wishing that the next turn of the page was the last so that I could finally be done with it.

These books may be fun for young children but I would honestly recommend Magic Tree House or Candyshop War something before I would recommend these.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was yet another fantastic story of Spencer and the other rebels fighting against the BEM! You would think that so much fighting against the BEM would become boring, but Tyler Whitesides makes each fight unique and unexpected every time. I’m so happy and sad at the same time because I loved the series, but I want to continue with Spencer and Daisy’s life! I’m super impressed with this series, even it already being my second time reading it, and I will look for more books by Tyler Whitesides. Thanks for an amazing book!

[Warren Ayen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great End to a Memorable Series

What a great ending, and it happened in a way I did not expect, though it was a bit formulaic at this point. Spencer and the Rebels are forever being either betrayed or simply out-maneuvered at every turn, and my only gripe with this series is that it happens far too much.

That said, absolutely worth every penny and moment spent reading. I can foresee re-reading this many times in the future. Great characters, good personality growth, excellent world. No reason not to get a copy, too.

[Jordan Encee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In conclusion, this series is sold. With someone of the obvious Fablehaven troupes, at least it did its own things in the end. But, speaking of Fablehaven, Janitors never truly met that high standard. I think the series is still great but lacking in some areas. As for this book itself, it was full of action and twists. However, I'm a bit disappointed that the witches weren't in it often enough and showcased their extraordinary powers. The ending was sweet, though, and funny all at once. Who would have known the bully would save the day? (Though I still think his shift to the good is sudden, it's too late to complain about spilled milk.) I can see many readers liking this series overall. It just sucks that (to me) it is living in the shadows that is Fablehaven.

[Hannah Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inventive and creative, and a lot of fun. This series can really only be called an adventure! I loved the endearing characters and the original plot and concept.

They needed to get just A LITTLE genre savvy and do things like take all objects from their prisoners. This is war. I totally called that plot twist (that it was going to be important...didn't expect how).

But I quite enjoyed this book, and the series as a whole.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to this series. Loose ends were tied up in some unexpected ways. I would recommend this series to anyone. It is clean with themes of friendship, loyalty, bravery, and standing up for the right things. I'm looking forward to the spin-0ff series, Janitors: School of Garbage.

I listened to the audio books for this series. Well worth it. The only downside is missing the fantastic illustrations by Brandon Dorman.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good ended to a very good series. It is definitely targeted at a young audience and I was ready to be done by the end of this last book but I liked how everything wrapped up and enjoyed reading the entire series. Great characters and the imagination of the author was amazing. I definitely recommend, especially for tweeners that you want to have a good experience with reading.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family just finished listening to this series on audiobook. Tyler’s writing kept all of us interested in story through all the books, ages 7-38 when we started the series, our kids would ask for it be turned on as soon as we would get in the car & my husband and I had gladly listened along because we also had to see what happened with Spencer’s adventure!
Highly recommend!!

[Anna Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a killer ending to this series! I am kinda sad that it is over, as I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am, however, satisfied with the ending. There were plenty of plot twists throughout the book, which kept me on the edge the whole book. Loved it!!

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

what an ending. i had never thought that dez would end up being all that helpful but he was very helpful. i mean, he only really was a shield, but his shielding worked well. i guess that i will have to put tyler whitesides on my favorite authors list. ;) ;) ;)

[Tonya Tingey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to wait until this was published and then finally I read it after reading the whole series again! Such a satisfying story and ending!! I will read EVERYTHING Tyler Whitesides writes! Thanks for the adventure Tyler!! 😁🙌💕💕

[Makenna Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great conclusion to a really fun series. You get a good happily ever after, but the path there was full of trials and things to overcome. Character growth was necessary all the way to the end, and it was full of fun twists all the way through to the end.

[K Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the fast moving, action packed, clear conclusion of this series! The author was a great voice actor as well as fabulous story teller!

[Joshua Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. You should probably read the rest of the book in the series before you read this book. I recommend this book.