The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science

Actor McKinnon celebrates weirdness in this ludicrous and unpredictable female-centered romp, a series-starting debut in the tradition of Daniel Pinkwater and Dav Pilkey. Compassionate, slug-loving Gertrude, rock-enthusiast Eugenia, and brainiac Dee-Dee Porch do not feel as if they fit into the posh society of Antiquarium, Rhodechussetts, where they are kicked out of yet another etiquette school after an experiment with a flying bat harnessed into a "Bat Straightener" goes awry. The sisterly trio are soon taken in by the "infamous mad scientist" Millicent Quibb, who invites them to become her first students as they work together to combat a nefarious research association. Madcap misadventures ensue within a plot that's loaded with self-aware asides and wry humor; an opening warning notes that "the situations contained in these books could cause: Instant death, Extremely instant death (bad), Semi-instant death (worse)," and more. Ink drawings by Cáceres give vivid life to the amusing absurdity of this over-the-top, 1911-set tale where Pastramibirds fly and monstrous sharp-toothed worms have hankerings for bichon frise. The cast cues as white. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

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Fiercely feisty and unapologetically goofy.

An endlessly inventive smorgasbord of fun, Millicent Quibb reads like a collab between Edward Gorey and Kurt Vonnegut: hilarious, proudly strange, and slightly twisted, with real humanity and a ton of sweetness at its heart.—Ransom Riggs, #1 NYT bestselling author of the Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children series

Brimming with imagination and wit—what a wonderful heart-racing read!—N. E. Bode, author of the Anybodies trilogy

Kate McKinnon\'s middle-grade debut is a tour de force of wild invention that offers a trio of science-mad (or mad scientist?) sisters and a backstage peek at how stories work. If you're wondering if it's funny—as in, Kate McKinnon funny? Belly-laugh, mind blown, did-she-really-just-say-that funny? Yes! It is that funny.
—Maryrose Wood, author the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series

This book is just like a mad science experiment: terribly mysterious, surprisingly smelly, potentially explosive, and a whole lot of fun. I recommend it to mad scientists and mad readers alike. Everyone will love this book. Unless, of course, their name is Lavinia.—Pseudonymous Bosch, New York Times bestselling author of the Secret Series and the Bad Books

It comes as no surprise that Kate McKinnon writes with the same unique sense of humor and heart that has made audiences fall in love with her time and again. Her quirky and unforgettable characters in The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science will have readers laughing out loud and plotting experiments for many generations to come.—Chris Colfer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Land of Stories series

It's no surprise this book made me laugh out loud—after all, it's written by Kate McKinnon! But I was also delighted to meet this fantastic cast of clever characters and to be drawn into a mad, mysterious world that reminded me, in all the best ways, of the stories I most loved growing up. (And love even more now.) Kids will eat this up! Unless a ravenous worm eats them first! Give them this book and a decent head start!
—Trenton Lee Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of the Mysterious Benedict Society series and The Secret Keepers']