The acclaimed cartoonist and illustrator returns with The Pet Rock Ransom, the third installment of his Class Pet Ghost Detective series — putting a young Black boy at the center of an adventure where imagination gets to lead the way.
There is something refreshing about seeing a young Black boy on the cover of a children’s book and knowing that he doesn’t have to carry the weight of the world.
He gets to be a kid.
He gets to solve mysteries. Chase clues. Deal with ghosts. Navigate classroom chaos.
And this time, apparently, he has to find a kidnapped rock.
Animator, cartoonist and illustrator Akeem S. Roberts returns this fall with Class Pet Ghost Detective #3: The Pet Rock Ransom, the latest installment in his supernatural graphic novel series for young readers.
The book arrives November 3, 2026, from Kokila and continues the adventures of Carter, a young Black student who solves mysteries alongside the ghost of his former class pet — a naked mole rat named Mr. Pebbles.
Yes, a ghost naked mole rat.
Stay with us.
Because that’s exactly the kind of wonderfully strange premise that can convince a child who insists they “don’t like reading” to turn one more page.
This Time, There’s a Ransom Note
It’s Field Day at Creek Elementary.
The students are outside competing in relay races, water balloon tosses and other activities when the festivities take an unexpected turn.
Lester’s beloved pet rock, Rocky, has disappeared.
Then comes the ransom note.
Carter and Mr. Pebbles are on the case, launching an investigation that requires them to return to the scene of the crime and even consult paranormal forces in hopes of figuring out who took Rocky — and getting him back.
It’s funny. It’s slightly spooky. It’s intentionally accessible.
And underneath all that silliness is something worth paying attention to.
Sometimes Representation Gets to Be Fun
There is an important place in children’s literature for books that teach young readers about Black history, identity and the realities generations before them endured.
Those stories matter.
But Black children also deserve books where they simply get to exist at the center of an adventure.
They deserve fantasy.
Mysteries.
Ghost stories.
Ridiculous jokes.
Missing pet rocks.
Roberts gives Carter that space.
The significance isn’t necessarily announced on every page. Carter simply gets to be the hero of his own story — albeit, according to the publisher, a somewhat reluctant one.
That’s representation, too.
And for emerging readers, the format matters just as much as the character.
The Class Pet Ghost Detective books combine large, colorful panels, limited text, comedy and episodic storytelling in a format designed to be approachable for children beginning to transition toward chapter books. The publisher recommends The Pet Rock Ransom for ages 6–8 and specifically identifies first- through third-graders who enjoy ghosts and mysteries as part of its audience.
That matters for another group of children, too: reluctant readers.
Sometimes getting a child excited about reading isn’t about finding a harder book.
It’s about finding the right book.
Akeem S. Roberts Knows How to Make Kids Laugh
Roberts says the inspiration behind the series came from something fairly simple: his own sense of humor.
“I wanted to write a fun book to engage kids in the mysteries of everyday life and explore how we can find magic all around us,” Roberts said.
He also credits the random funny ideas he collects from everyday life with inspiring the series and its unusual class-pet adventures.
But Roberts isn’t new to children’s books.
He illustrated the J.D. the Kid Barber chapter-book series, whose first installment earned recognition from School Library Journal, Chicago Public Library and the Texas Bluebonnet Master List, among others. His résumé also extends beyond publishing: Roberts has illustrated for Hasbro’s My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and worked as a cartoonist for The New Yorker.
Class Pet Ghost Detective marks his author-illustrator debut.
And readers have already responded.
The first installment, What Happened to the Naked Mole Rat?, was named one of The Children’s Book Review’s Best Graphic Novels of 2025 and received recognition from Amazon among its children’s selections.
The adventures continued with Milkshake the Disappearing Milk Snake, followed now by The Pet Rock Ransom. More Creek Elementary mysteries featuring Carter, Mr. Pebbles and their classmates are also planned.
Let Black Kids Have the Adventure
Perhaps that’s what makes this series particularly enjoyable.
There doesn’t need to be a grand lesson attached to every moment of representation.
Sometimes a Black boy can simply be curious.
Sometimes he can be funny.
Sometimes he can be reluctant, clever, confused and brave — all within a few pages.
And sometimes his biggest problem can be figuring out who stole somebody’s pet rock.
For children discovering what kind of readers they might become, those stories can open a door.
Because before a child can fall in love with reading, somebody has to give them a story they actually want to read.
Akeem S. Roberts seems perfectly happy to throw in a ghost, a mystery and a missing rock to help make that happen.
BOOK DETAILS
Class Pet Ghost Detective #3: The Pet Rock Ransom
Written and illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
Kokila
On Sale: November 3, 2026
Ages: 6–8
List Price: $19.99
ISBN: 9798217115136
