The League of Littles

Casey Lyall

Book - 2025

Eli, Lexi, and Mo, three trainees to an international organization that supports the needs of youngest siblings, accept their first mission and help find a lost hamster.

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Subjects
Genres
Graphic novels
Comics (Graphic works)
Domestic comics
Humorous comics
Published
New York, NY : Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
Casey Lyall (author)
Other Authors
Sara Faber (illustrator)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
115 pages : color illustrations ; 24 cm cm
Audience
Ages 8-12.
Grades 4-6.
ISBN
9780063285255
9780063285262
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Lyall (Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities) teams up with illustrator Faber in this shenanigans-filled graphic novel, a dual comics debut, that reimagines quintessential sibling rivalry. Nine-year-olds Lexi, Mo, and Eli are trainees in the League of Littles, a covert resistance group that aims to uplift younger siblings globally. Their first mission is to find a missing pet before their longtime rivals, the Band of Bigs. As the Littles navigate their clandestine operation, they realize that outsmarting the Bigs will take teamwork, quick thinking, and a lot of luck. Lyall skillfully transforms quotidian sibling dynamics into a thrilling spy adventure complete with secret missions, opposing organizations, and high-stakes rescues. Keen worldbuilding--along with the LOLs and the BOBs is the Middles and Onlys Guild--adds nuance to this playful spin on perceived familial hierarchies. Faber's energetic artwork complements the book's blend of comedy and derring-do, which emphasizes teamwork, problem-solving, and learning to recognize individual strengths, making for an amusing romp that's chock-full of heart and laughs. Back matter includes character profiles rendered as top secret agent dossiers. The protagonists are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 8--12. (June)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 3--6--Lexi, Mo, and Eli are training to be agents for the League of Littles, an international organization that defends youngest siblings--or "littles"--against the bullying, arrogance, and tyranny of older siblings. For their first mission, they are tasked with helping Gabi, a "little" who has lost her older sister's pet hamster Chester after bringing him to school for show-and-tell. Lexi, Mo, and Eli must use their unique skills of crafting, strategy, and acrobatics to capture Chester and return him to Gabi. However, they do not know that Chester is secretly working with the Band of Bigs, an organization built to support oldest siblings. All groups of siblings (youngest, oldest, middle, and only children) are represented throughout the story. Lyall and Faber weave humor into a lighthearted school spy story, and readers will connect with the depictions of different siblings throughout the book. Despite its comedic elements, the story's plot adheres to a standard spy novel structure. The cast of characters is diverse, although specific race and ethnicity remains ambiguous and is based on the visual cues from the art. The art is bright, colorful, and detailed, and readers will find humor in the illustrations as well as the overall story. VERDICT A lively new graphic novel series recommended for elementary libraries where spy stories are widely circulated.--Rachel Jussel

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A group of youngest siblings are challenged by a hamster on the run. The League of Littles was founded to help protect kids from the "bullying, arrogance, and tyranny of elder siblings," and when it quickly becomes clear that there's also a Band of Bigs as well as a Middles and Onlys Guild, one might expect a dramatic confrontation among these birth order--based squads. But in this book at least, the crews generally keep to their own corners. Tasked by more senior Littles with locating a missing hamster (lest the little sister who lost it incur the wrath of its owner, her big sibling), trainees Lexi, Mo, and Eli find themselves chasing the rodent high and low through the school. When it's revealed that the hamster belongs to one of the birth-order groups, the intrigue deepens. Set up to pave the way for future capers, this graphic novel feels somewhat tentatively invested in its characters' motivations, and the sibling rivalries take a back seat to the pursuit of the lost pet, perhaps leaving room for future, larger conflicts. Nonetheless, the book has several funny moments; the narrative gag of the Middles lounging in their lair watching the school-wide search in bemusement is truly hilarious. Faber's lovely illustrations use a soft palette and smoothed lines while gleefully capturing the Littles' mission with dramatic perspectives. Lexi is Black, Eli is tan-skinned and dark-haired, and Mo presents white. A brief, amusing romp with potential for future fun.(Graphic fiction. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.