Module 15: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman

Full Citation

Pilkey, Dav. Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman: the Fifth Epic Novel. New York: Scholastic, 2001. Print.

Summary

Tra-la-la! In the first book in this series, lovable troublemakers George Beard and Harold Hutchins accidentally used a 3-D Hypno Ring to change their dour principal Mr. Krupp into comic hero Captain Underpants. Now, the boys have used the same rings on their heinous teacher Ms. Tara Ribble in order to change their grades back after their latest crime of using their imaginations led them to getting their grades changed from B's and C's to F's and G's. However, its seems the ring has an opposite effect on women, because when they tell her NOT to become the evil villainous Wedgie Woman, she does! It's up to George, Harold, and Captain Underpants to save the town from the "woothless wevenge" of the wicked Wedgie Woman and her robot minions... if the dreaded spray starch doesn't sideline Captain Underpants first!

My Impressions

Okay, seriously, how is this series one of the most challenged books of the last decade? Yes, there is lots of bathroom humor and a general attitude of disrespect for authority (albeit one that stifles anything resembling  creativity or free expression), but not every book for children can (or should be) Dick and Jane. I didn't really know much about the series other that it was controversial, so I paged through this book in my library's children's section and I almost thought I was going to create a disturbance by my roaring laughter! There is a lot of bathroom humor, to be sure, but there's also a lot of fourth-wall breaking, pop culture references (A rabbi asks George and Harold to stay out of trouble, and the two reply: "Silly rabbi, tricks are for kids!"), and lots of good-natured ribbing at the superhero genre. Illustrations on every page keep the action moving fast, including an entire chapter utilizing a clever "flip-book" effect. I would have no problem with any children of mine reading these books someday.

What Other Reviewers Said

In the fifth "epic novel" about the extraordinary Captain Underpants--"faster than a speeding waistband... more powerful than boxer shorts"--the formidable superhero is under siege by a terrifying new enemy, the merciless bionic-powered Wedgie Woman. Will Captain Underpants overcome his fear of spray starch in time to save the world from the evil schemes of Wedgie Woman? No one knows... except maybe George and Harold, the imaginative fourth-grade troublemakers (imagination is not allowed at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School), who are also the creative minds behind Captain Underpants and Wedgie Woman. You see, it all started (as it usually does) with a comic strip drawn and illustrated by the boys. When their mean teacher Miss Ribble gets her hands on the comic book, their troubles really begin. Fans who have been eagerly awaiting Book 5 in the series, preceded by such gems as Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space and Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, will heave a sigh of relief at the appearance of Pilkey's latest tongue-in-cheek superhero adventure novel. Goofier than ever, with plenty of boyish drawings and juvenile humor, this lightweight chapter book is the answer to reluctant (and avid) readers' dreams. If descriptions of Wedgie Woman's bionic hair and the "ubrupt" ending of the "happyness" on the planet of Underpantyworld don't turn grade-schoolers into bookworms, what will? By the way, don't let the quotation from Einstein at the front of the book mislead you; this is lowbrow humor at its very finest. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter (1)

Gr 2-5-Fans need not worry. Pilkey's imagination shows no sign of flagging here. When George and Harold's evil teacher announces her departure, she forces the class to write "Happy Retirement" cards for her. Instead, the two boys create a comic book in which they turn Ms. Ribble into the titular "Wicked Wedgie Woman." She sees the book, tells them that they are not allowed to use their imagination in school, and sends them posthaste to the principal. The two friends seize the opportunity to get him to sign a blank card to which they add his protestations of love for Ms. Ribble. Hilarious wedding high jinks ensue (but no marriage). To prevent the villainous woman from retaliating, the protagonists hypnotize her with their 3-D Hypno-Ring. Their plan backfires and a cosmic battle follows, complete with the familiar Flip-O-Rama feature. Among the highlights of this book is an alliterative post-wedding food fight in which, for example, the "creamy candied carrots clobbered the kindergarteners." There is a great deal of laugh-out-loud humor that will appeal to a wide audience. "Captain Underpants" is still one of the best series to get reluctant readers reading.- Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ (2)

 Suggested Activities

Have a special book discussion event for readers and their parents/caregivers where participants will promise to read Captain Underpants or another book from the ALA list above together. Encourage families to discuss what they liked and didn't like about the book in a rational and tolerant manner.

Other Citations

(1) Coulter, Emilie. Rev. of  "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman." Amazon.com Review. Amazon.com: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/26jzvat>.

(2) Wadham, Tim. Rev. of  "Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman." School Library Journal. Amazon.com: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. <http://tinyurl.com/26jzvat>.