Chosen for inclusion in the reading list for the 2006 Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award Kaspar Snit is a villainous villain who is determined to steal all the fountains in the world. Why? Fountains are beautiful and give people pleasure, two things he can’t abide. Can a family of four who love fountains rescue them from the hands of this dastardly scoundrel? Especially when that family is made up of the four most eccentric individuals you’d care to meet? Eleven-year-old Eleanor, eight-year-old Solly, better known as Googoo Man, and their parents, who are, to say the least, odd, set out on a hilarious quest over mountains and across the seas to storm the fortress of Kaspar and retrieve the lost fountains. Cary Fagan’s first novel for children is a fun fantasy that will keep young armchair travelers laughing right to the exciting end.

Fresh from their victory over the nasty Kaspar Snit, — who was last seen trying to steal the fountains of Rome in The Fortress of Kaspar Snit—the Blande family have certainly earned a rest. They’re not actually an average family (what average family has the power to fly?), but they like to relax in front of the TV like everyone else. Their favorite show (except for Dad) is the hugely popular hit, “The Zoomers.” When it’s Zoomer time, mom makes a batch of popcorn, Solly settles his rat GW on his shoulder, and Eleanor watches avidly as the Zoomer family of superheroes set off on their weekly adventure. But Eleanor’s noticed an odd the director is one I. M. Partankiss. And that’s none other than Kaspar Snit. Surely he must have reformed? After all, he is planning to donate a million dollars to his beloved native land, Verulia. Problem is, “The Zoomers” won’t be seen on TV until a million dollars has been raised. The Blande parents are off to a romantic vacation in Tuscany and Eleanor and Solly are left in the care of their new, extraordinary nanny, Mrs. Leer, and so the fun begins. The adventures they embark on are much more exciting than anything they’ve seen on “The Zoomers.” The thousands of readers who made The Fortress of Kaspar Snit such a success will welcome Cary Fagan’s laugh-out-loud sequel. Not only does this book stand alone as a hilarious story, but it also introduces the most memorable nanny since Mary Poppins.

Until things begin to go wrong, thirteen-year-old Eleanor Blande had hoped that this would be her best year ever. First her father finds himself without work. Then Levon du Plessy-Minsk, the Creature Catcher, threatens to expose Eleanor’s secret to the world. To make matters worse, Eleanor’s mother has developed a fear of flying, and her little brother, Solly, has decided to hang up his Googoo-man superhero outfit forever. When Kaspar Snit finds his way back into Eleanor’s life, does the notorious evil genius really want her to help him reform and become a regular person? Or is he the one committing such mean and despicable acts as raiding a birthday party and stealing all the bicycle bells in town? And when a collection of priceless jewels from the country of Verulia goes on exhibit, could anyone other than Kaspar Snit be planning to steal it? Cary Fagan’s enchanting sequel to The Fortress of Kaspar Snit and Directed by Kaspar Snit will have kids laughing out loud as they root for Eleanor and the rest of her flying family.