King of the Mole People

Paul Gilligan's smart and funny illustrated middle grade series stars Doug, King of the Mole People, who struggles to balance chaos both in school and in the underworld. Doug Underbelly is doing his best to be normal. It's not easy: he's bad at jokes, he's lousy at sports, and he lives in a creaky old mansion surrounded by gravestones. Also Magda, the weird girl at school, won't leave him alone. And, if that weren't enough, he recently got crowned King of an underground race of Mole People. Doug didn't ask to be king-it's a job he can't really avoid, like the eel sandwiches his dad makes for him (with love). If he thought dealing with seventh grade was tricky, it's nothing compared to navigating the feud between Mole People, Slug People, Mushroom Folk and Stone Goons, not to mention preventing giant worms from rising up and destroying everything. How will Doug restore order? It's all a matter of diplomacy!

Doug Underbelly has quit being King of the Mole People. No more Slug, Stone, Mole or Mushrooms underlings, no more skirmishes, no more diplomacy. The only thing standing between him and normality is the creaky old graveyard mansion he lives in with his weirdness-loving dad. But, the universe isn't letting Doug go without a fight. First, he's forced to manage cleanup crews and dance committees, then a whole new breed of Slugs start to revolt. It seems the more Doug tries to get out, the deeper he gets dragged in. Can Doug restore order and finally reach his dream of just being normal? Maybe, but he'll have to take it one Slug egg at a time.