Big Nate: Silent But Deadly

Big Nate is back, and the antics of this sixth-grader never seem to get old. Watching him train a new recruit for after-school detention or trying to mend the strange romance between Nate’s dog, Spitsy, and his lady love, Pickles the cat, with an REO Speedwagon song are the kinds of shenanigans one only finds in a Big Nate book. Big Nate’s followers never tire of his tomfoolery, laid out in colorful comic-strip stories several pages long each, covering a portion of a school year. This one has a bit of a focus on that know-it-all Gina and her sneaky, smelly fart problem. Some of the material, though, seems like the parents might get the jokes better than the kids.

Author and artist Lincoln Peirce has built such a great franchise with his Big Nate character and all his sixth-grade friends. The writing is always snappy and funny, and the artwork is about as good as cartooning can get, with consistently fine characterization. Anyone in middle school or wanting to take a trip back in time to middle school will appreciate this and all the other Big Nate books.