Today I’m joining the book tour for an exciting new science fiction story set in the present. Elmo Fitzroy is 12-years-old and famous. He had no choice. Growing up his mother included him on her popular You Tube channel about single parenting. The world knows him as Muppit Boy. Not exactly the label you want in middle school.

Now that he has gotten his mother to stop using him in her videos, he can finally lay low through middle school leaving behind his Muppit Boy past and just be Mo. His mentor, who he was matched with through the Big Brothers organization, is a police detective. Their connection leads to an unexpected series of science fiction plot shifts. Mo’s ADHD brain is rather useful as it records events like a video camera.

I won’t give too much away but be ready for an old woman in a clown mask who steals hearing aids, chainsaws, and a harrowing ride thanks to a California Condor. His friends Barn and Kash join Bo, making them a memorable trio as they investigate a potential world crisis. Now it is time for Mo to become a true hero and not some ridiculous internet sensation.

The fast pace and laugh-out-loud first person narration by Mo will appeal to middle grade readers in 5th grade and above. They will love the many heartfelt scenes in MUPPIT BOY AND THE ALLERGIES OF EVIL, along with several edge of your seat moments. The ending was not my favorite but hey, this is science fiction and it nicely set up the second book in the series, MUPPIT BOY AND THE WHEEL POWER.

BOOK BIRTHDAY: May 12, 2026

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: MUPPIT BOY AND THE ALLERGIES OF EVIL by Michael J. Bowler

1. Mo is a great character who struggles with the attention his mother created for him. His ADHD is not portrayed as a disability but a strength that Mo uses to his best ability.
2. His mentor Ari was a surprising inclusion. I have spent most of my adult life as a mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and know the impact a consistent adult can bring to a young person’s life. Ari is a shining star and emotional anchor for Mo and is always his biggest fan.
3. Full of funny, tender, and heartwarming scenes, you just never know what is going to happen next. That alone will keep the pages turning for young readers.
4. The diverse group of friends for Mo: Kash is a tough minded devotee to martial arts and Barn’s clumsiness becomes a positive in difficult situations. Hope they all return in Book 2.
5. Mo truly is a hero. He finds the self respect he desires in such a surprising way. I cheered for him the entire way.

About the Author

Michael J. Bowler has spent his life showing up for young people — as a high school teacher, a single dad to an adopted child, a decades-long volunteer within the Los Angeles juvenile justice system (working with incarcerated youth as young as seven), and as a Big Brother to eight boys through the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program. In 2000, he was named National Big Brother of the Year.

His deeply personal understanding of what kids need — to be seen, believed in, and given room to grow — infuses everything he writes. His books for teens and tweens have earned numerous awards, and his middle grade debut for reluctant readers was, fittingly, road-tested by his own son at age eleven. (He loved it.)

When he’s not writing or advocating for youth, Michael can be found online at MichaelJBowler.com and on social media as @michaeljbowler.

https://www.instagram.com/michaeljbowler/

https://www.facebook.com/michaeljbowler.author

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win one signed hardcover, one of five signed paperback copies, or one of five audiobook downloads of Muppit Boy and the Allergies of Evil by Michael J. Bowler. One grand prize winner will receive a signed hardcover plus a $50 Amazon gift card!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

***********************************************

BE SURE TO VISIT ALL THE OTHER BLOGGERS ON TODAY’S MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY!