Doug Underbelly is doing his best to be normal. It's not the easiest thing in the world: He's bad at jokes, he's lousy at sports, and he lives in a creaky old mansion surrounded by gravestones. He’s got Magda who won't leave him alone. He's got a bully. Best of all, he's got a crown because he just happens to be King of the Mole People.

Doug didn’t ask to be King - it's a job he can't really avoid, like the eel sandwiches his dad makes for him (with love). Eager as he may be to escape his fate, Doug sets out to solve the mystery destroying the underworld by taking on the feuding groups - the Mole People, the Slug People, the Stone People, and let's not forget the Mushroom People. Is it possible to restore order in the nether realm and gain a few friends in the process? It's all a matter of diplomacy!

Rise of the Slugs

by Paul Gilligan

Published 25 August 2020
Doug Underbelly has stepped down as King of the Mole People. No more Slug, Stone, Mole, or Mushroom underlings. And no more underground fight club. The only thing standing between Doug and normality is the creaky old mansion surrounded by gravestones he calls home.

But normal doesn't come so easy-if Doug won't be King of the Mole People, the universe will find a way to make him be king of the dance committee and king of the backyard cleanup. And then the Slugs (a different species) begin to revolt, and Doug is pulled under to restore order. Can it be done? Let's just say: one Slug egg at a time.

Christy Ottaviano Books