If you grew up with Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers as part of your after-school ritual, then welcome to the cool club. You’re one of us. But I’d wager you also know at least two things: (1) the theme song is the world’s greatest earworm, and (2) Gadget Hackwrench was the greatest unsung “sidekick” of the Disney Afternoon who never got the credit she deserved.

Like long-suffering Penny on the heels of hapless Inspector Gadget, Gadget was the true brains behind the Rescue Rangers. Chip? Dale? Monterey stinkin’ Jack? Please.

It’s inventor, mechanic, and all-around genius Gadget (voiced by Tress MacNeille) who solved every mystery and made it possible for those boys to steal her thunder and claim all the credit.

(Plus, did you know she’s the divine being in a Russian cult that worships her? I mean, I can’t fault them. Gadget Hackwrench is far more worthy of worship than those worthless Jedi, and a much bigger religion has sprung up around those misguided a-holes).

Nevertheless, this is all a long-winded way of saying that Gadget’s day – her moment to triumph in the spotlight – has finally come!

Sort of.

J.J. Gilbert has written the first middle grade book in a new series called The Mouse Watch, which focuses on an international group of superspy genius mice founded by… you guessed it… Gadget Hackwrench.

Though Gadget is the legendary founder of the Mouse Watch, she sadly only makes a cameo appearance in the book (thus my “sort of” qualifier above). The story really focuses on new recruit Bernadette (Bernie) Skampersky who idolizes Gadget and who’s thrust into a real-life crisis before she can even officially get sworn in.

But fear not, gentle readers, because Bernie is a true-blue, unqualified genius.

She was one of those few individuals for whom numbers and art were virtually inseparable… Her incredible brain was equally split between logic and art, and that made her one of the greatest puzzle-solving geniuses that had ever been born.

Those nasty agents from RATS (the Rogue Animal Thieves Society, naturally) are at it again, and Bernie – her first time away from the comfort and safety of home – is forced to work alongside a rat (A rat! The same species she inherently distrusts because her brother was killed by one.) to save the entire Mouse Watch.

So yes, it fits nicely in the “green recruit must suddenly save the world” trope, but come on! It’s set in the world of Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers! And it stars a bunch of kickass mice using Gadget-invented tech that far surpasses our own! Super advanced drones! Zoom chutes! AI-controlled virtual reality! And (lowercase) gadgets that would make James Bond jealous!

The first rule for all mice was to never, under any circumstances, draw any attention to themselves.

Author J.J. Gilbert (a pseudonym for Jason Lethcoe) has spent his career in animation as director, animator, producer, and storyboard artist for companies such as Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures Animation. And with The Mouse Watch, he’s brought one of the most beloved parts of my childhood back to the fore.

Unfortunately, though the book was originally scheduled to release at the end of May, current events have pushed that date back, and you won’t be able to get your hands on it until November 3. Alas.

Still, it’s well worth a preorder, and it’ll make a perfect holiday gift – either for a young reader you love or for yourself (who will forget that you ordered it way back in April).