The conclusion of the Janitors series is something Utah author Tyler Whitesides has been planning and plotting since the second book in the five-book series.
“I’ve been embedding clues through the other books on how it would come to a close,” Whitesides said in an interview with the Deseret News. “It’s something that I’ve been building up” through the series.
In the Janitors series, Toxites have infiltrated schools and inhibit learning in a variety of ways. They are usually invisible to students, and janitors have been fighting them and the corrupt Bureau of Educational Maintenance, to help students continue to learn. With the help of magical properties, cleaning tools and supplies are used as weapons against the growing threat to education.
In the first book, “Janitors,” they learn about and combat the Toxites. In the second book, “Secrets of New Forest Academy,” the Toxites grow bigger and pose a larger threat. In the third book, “Curse of the Broomstaff,” the Toxites can be ridden. In the fourth book, “Strike of the Sweepers," the Toxites combine with people, making a whole new enemy for the Rebel Janitors.
“In every single book, I’ve ratcheted it up one step so there is a bigger threat,” said Whitesides, who drew on his experience as an elementary school janitor for the series.
In the concluding book, “Heroes of the Dustbin” (Shadow Mountain, $18.99, ages 10 and up), which is scheduled to be released Sept. 8, sixth-grade students Spencer Zumbo, who is a bit germaphobic, his friend Daisy Gates, and Dez Rylie, who is a bully and a part-human, part-Toxite Sweeper, face figuring out how to defeat the trio of Founding Witches, who created the Toxites, and destroy the source of the Toxites.
The Rebel Janitors have been captured, including members of Spencer's and Daisy’s families. The loyalties of the long-living magical Aurans is never a sure thing, and there are also battles to be won for those who live in the landfill that’s the base of operations for the remaining Rebels and Aurans.
“A lot of help is gone for the good guys, and they are on their own more than they’ve ever been,” Whitesides said.
Their quest to destroy the Toxites takes them from their homes and school, Welcher Elementary School in Idaho, to the New Forest Academy in Colorado, on a rescue mission across the country, and back to the magical Dustbin.
“In the fifth book, I feel responsible … to tie up all of the storylines I had going,” Whitesides said. “I felt obligated to bring everyone together for the fifth book. The big finish would give you every character who was still alive.”
There are new creatures and magical tools that are introduced, too.
“Heroes of the Dustbin” is an action-packed, unpredictable story that is a satisfying and exciting conclusion to the series.
As this is the battle to hopefully destroy the Toxites, it has some violence throughout that is told in an age-appropriate way. There is no swearing or sexual content.
Whitesides makes “Heroes of the Dustbin” understandable to those who haven’t read the previous books, but there are plenty of previous adventures that are alluded to from earlier in the series.
Whitesides said it was particularly fun to write the scenes with garbologist Dr. Bernard Weizmann, who analyzes garbage to look for clues of people who have thrown away the trash. Daisy is fascinated by it and is learning from Bernard, while Spencer is pretty disgusted by it.
Usually they turn to the garbologist when the rest of the group has reached several dead ends and doesn’t know what else to do.
“He tips over the trash can, all of the trash spills across the floor and he starts to sift through the trash,” Whitesides said. “He can pull these crazy clues out of the garbage that he finds when no one else is interested in looking in the trash.
“He’s like the Sherlock Holmes of garbage.”
Throughout the series, the majority of fan emails that Whitesides received were from children who noticed a cleaning supply that wasn’t in the book and suggested a magical purpose.
Fiction and fantasy “is supposed to spark creativity and imagination,” Whitesides said. And he’s incorporated several of the cleaning supplies into the series.
“They’ve definitely put several cleaning supplies on my radar that I hadn’t thought of,” Whitesides said.
While “Heroes of the Dustbin” ties up the Janitors series, Whitesides is working on other projects for the same age group.
Whitesides studied music, specifically percussion, at Utah State University. Since the first Janitors book was published, he formed the Jammin’ Janitors group with friends from high school and the university.
Their instruments are made out of various pieces of what could be considered junk or garbage. They have car tires they perform with like Japanese taiko drums, and another number includes drumming on old computers.
“I go to the DI (Deseret Industries) with drumsticks and tinker around,” Whitesides said, adding that he usually gets several strange looks when he’s testing out sounds. He looks on the free section of classified ads to see what’s available and what might be interesting.
On a professional recording, the Jammin’ Janitors used spray bottles and the ping of the water on various surfaces to make music, Whitesides said.
The Jammin’ Janitors have performed their music and comedy variety show, which includes characters from the series, at the last several Janitors book launch events, and will also perform this weekend in Logan and Bountiful in conjunction with the book launch.
If you go ...
What: Jammin’ Janitors music/comedy performance and Tyler Whitesides book signing
When: Friday, Sept. 4, doors open at 6:30 p.m., performance is at 7 p.m.
Where: Logan High School, 162 W. 100 South, Logan
Cost: Event is free
Web: tylerwhitesides.com
Also …
When: Saturday, Sept. 5, doors open at 6:30 p.m., performance is at 7 p.m.
Where: Viewmont High School, 120 W. 1000 North, Bountiful
Cost: Event is free
Also ...
What: Tyler Whitesides book signing
When: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Noble, Layton Market Center, 1780 N. Woodland Park Drive, Layton
Web: barnesandnoble.com
Also ...
When: Thursday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m.
Where: Hastings Bookstore, 40 E. 525 North, Ogden
Jammin' Janitors: Spray Bottles
Jammin' Janitors
A video mashup from some of the Jammin' Janitors' previous events.
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com Twitter: CTRappleye