“Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power” by Michael J. Bowler

Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power  

Michael J. Bowler
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN:  979-8993648644
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (08/2026)

The Adventures of Muppit Boy series expands with the second book, Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power, the brainchild of author Michael J. Bowler.  If you haven’t read the first book, I’m sure you’re wondering what, exactly, a Muppit Boy is.  It’s not actually a what.  It’s a who:  Muppit Boy is the unfortunate name poor Elmo Fitzroy (Mo to his friends) was saddled with thanks to his over-exuberant social media influencer mother.  He’s actually (and unfortunately) world-renowned for the antics his mom has uploaded over the years.  But thanks to an accident involving a dastardly evil guy named… well, Dr. Drug (which Mo says is the worst villain name ever), Mo is now actually the world’s first genuine superhero!  He’s trotting out his new superhero persona as Condor Kid in this book, and it’s both awesome and comically ridiculous.

Thanks to Dr. Drug’s nanite technology, which he used trying to do away with Mo, AKA- Muppit Boy, Mo now has superpowers.  So he’s been away at a form of basic training to learn how to be a superhero.  It doesn’t just come with an owner’s manual, you know.  Now that he’s finally home, Mo shows up to meet his best friends, Kashvi and Barney, at the local carnival.  He’s wearing his Condor Kid costume under his sweatpants and hoodie, which look entirely out of place in the summer heat.  But what’s a new superhero to do?  As Kash and Barn get on the Ferris Wheel for a spin, Mo sets out for the bathroom just to have a moment of peace to himself.  But suddenly the Ferris Wheel starts to tilt and is in danger of tipping over, fully loaded with families—along with his best friends!  This sounds like a job for Condor Kid!

Michael J. Bowler certainly knows how to get our attention.  But it seems the carnival stunt is not the only problem going on.  Mo soon learns that highly athletic young boys are being kidnapped from all across the country, and his boss wants Condor Kid, along with his Big Brother and new spy partner Ari, to find out what’s going on.  They’re going to need help from someone who’s a target for the kidnappers.  But that’s not Mo, who, despite his new superpowers, is still scrawny and has actually stopped growing.  Oh, he’s also a self-acknowledged total nerd.  Mo thinks he knows just the kid to ask, but it’s the last person he wants to work with.

Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power picks up with all the fun, hijinks, and middle-grade angst we came to love in the first book, Muppit Boy and the Allergies of Evil.  Yep.  You read that right.  This is his biggest challenge yet, as he’ll seek out the very lair of the kidnappers to help the victims escape. But can Condor Kid actually pull this off?  He is, after all, fresh out of flying school, where he spent more time face-planting than flying.

Bowler has created a wonderful character in Mo.  Whether he’s dealing with his Muppit Boy fame or trying to save the world as Condor Kid, Mo is still just a kid with a couple of good friends, a single mom who does her best, and a Big Brother mentor who has been a guiding influence in his life for years.  His superpowers have not created a superego, thanks to the grounding his mom, Ari, and friends provide.  But Mo still is an unusual kid—with a strong moral compass and a true sense of compassion for those in danger.  He’s got a heart of gold.  But the feet of a klutz.

There’s not a moment in this story that feels preachy, yet Bowler manages to bring home important themes of loyalty, trust, honesty, forgiveness, empathy, and integrity.  This is the kind of material I want my mid-grade kids reading.  It’s full of heart, friends, family, and that great mid-grade humor.  Yet there’s nothing nerdy about this book.  Oh, except for Mo… but we’ve covered that. 

If you’re looking for a great chapter book that will keep you turning pages long after your parents told you to turn your lights out, grab Michael J. Bowler’s Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power.  Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first book; you’ll be able to keep up with all the fun, and chances are, when you’re through, you’ll want to grab that first book, too.  Welcome to the world of Muppit Boy… um, Condor Kid.