Boss of the Underworld

The first book in a new hilarious middle grade graphic novel series about a girl who falls down a manhole and has to save the Underworld from an evil green menace, perfect for fans of InvestiGators and Ham Helsing.

Shirley didn't mean to fall down the manhole. Actually, she didn't fall . . . Something dragged her down into the abyss. But now, before she could even collect her thoughts, she is forced to save an entire subterranean society of misfits from the evil clutches of a big baddie known as "The Boss."

Shirley and her new giant cockroach friend George must triumph over scary foes, resist eating delicious things in the sketchy forest, navigate the Bog of Intense Emotions, and find their way through the dark maze of the sewers.

And little does Shirley know that she has a history with the Boss of the Underworld. Will Shirley and George be able to conquer this quest, or will they be left swimming with the fishes?

Author: Tor Freeman
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: 06/16/2026
Pages: 160
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.40h x 6.00w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781250430380
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/06/2026
Booklist 06/01/2026

About the Author

Tor Freeman was born and grew up in London and California. She is an author and illustrator and has had two ongoing strips in the weekly comic The Phoenix. She has been awarded the Sendak Fellowship, and won the Observer/Cape/Comica graphic short story prize. Tor lives and works in London.
torfreeman.com