Be a Star, Wonder Woman!

Be a Star, Wonder Woman!, written by Michael Dahl and vibrantly illustrated by Omar Lozano, shows readers that there’s quite a bit in common between a young girl starting school and everyone’s favorite Amazonian princess.

While this little girl is encouraging two new friends to share, Wonder Woman is restoring peace in the city. Just as the girl must be brave as she attempts to conquer a rope ladder, Wonder Woman must do the same when battling one of her worst enemies. And both the little girl and Wonder Woman need to know that it’s okay to admit when they need help. After all, even the most courageous hero needs a friend now and then.

This little girl is learning that she has everything she needs to be a hero, just like Wonder Woman!

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This awesome book is great for Wonder Woman fans (like myself) and those looking for an inspirational book for children–girls or boys–starting school. I not only plan to add this book to my school library, but I also have every intention of purchasing a copy for my niece who starts kindergarten in the fall.

Be a Star, Wonder Woman! emphasizes some of the most important things that a child (or adult) should strive to be: prepared, kind, brave, honest, strong, and heroic. It doesn’t really take much to exhibit these traits. Not all of us can be Wonder Woman, but everyone can be a hero in her/his own way.

Almost Super

“At 4:23 in the afternoon, on February 29, any Bailey age twelve or over gets a superpower.”

This year, brothers Rafter and Benny Bailey will finally get the superpowers they’ve been waiting for. Will they be able to fly? Have super strength or speed? Shoot fire or water out of their hands? What powers will they get to aid in their family’s fight against the Johnsons, the evil family of supervillains?

When the clock strikes 4:23, Rafter and Benny finally get their long-awaited powers…and they’re total duds. No, they couldn’t get useful powers like flight, strength, speed, or even super-smarts. Nothing useful like that. No, Rafter now has the astounding ability to light matches on polyester, and Benny can turn his belly button from an innie to an outie. It doesn’t look like these two boys will be much help when it comes to fighting crime.

Rafter is shocked by how worthless his new power is. Why did he and Benny get such dumb powers? How can they possibly help the family fight evil with powers like these? Rafter becomes determined to find out just what is going on, and his quest leads him right to one person–Juanita Johnson. (Yes, of the evil supervillain Johnsons.) Did she get a worthless power, too? Or did this embarrassment somehow skip the Johnsons?

As Rafter and Benny learn more from Juanita, they begin to realize that maybe the two families–who’ve been fighting for decades–aren’t all that different. Maybe they both see themselves as superheroes. And maybe there’s an even bigger problem that they need to work together to solve.

Join Rafter, Benny, and Juanita in Almost Super as they uncover a plot to manipulate both of their families and learn that one doesn’t need superpowers to do something truly heroic. Sometimes, being almost super is enough.

Almost Super by Marion Jensen is a nominee for the 2015-16 South Carolina Children’s Book Award.

Flora & Ulysses

Flora & Ulysses tells the tale of Flora Belle Buckman, a self-proclaimed cynic who loves reading comic books, and a very special squirrel we come to know as Ulysses. A chance encounter with a vacuum cleaner transforms a rather unimportant little rodent into a magnificent example of squirrelkind with some very special abilities. Flora is convinced that this squirrel, Ulysses, is a superhero waiting to happen. Everyone else around her isn’t so sure.

Ulysses does, in fact, have some pretty awesome gifts. He can lift heavy vacuum cleaners over his head! He can fly! He can use a typewriter and compose lovely, misspelled poems! But does that make him superhero material? Flora sure seems to think so, and Ulysses would hate to disappoint his new favorite person.

Not everyone thinks as highly of Ulysses as Flora does. Her mother seems to be his most vicious hater. She even plots Ulysses’ demise! What’s Flora to do? Well, she enlists the help of her father, her neighbor, a couple of other unlikely characters, and her own extensive knowledge in her quest to keep Ulysses alive and kicking.

Can Flora convince her mother to abandon her treacherous villainy? Will Ulysses be able to prove that he’s got superhero potential? Will Flora abandon her cynical ways and open her heart to love, hope, and friendship with squirrels and humans alike? Read the illuminated adventures of Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo and K.G. Campbell to find out!

The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man

The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man, written by Michael Chabon and illustrated by Jake Parker, is nominated for the 2013-2014 South Carolina Picture Book Award.

This book will appeal to the superhero fan in all readers, especially young boys. As Awesome Man uses his super grip and positronic eyeball rays to fight evil, readers will be wondering what his astonishing secret is. Awesome Man himself kind of shows readers his secret identity, but many readers will not expect the truth when it is revealed.

The illustrations in this book are wonderful, and I think they could serve to introduce the youngest readers to the wonder of comic books and graphic novels. I also enjoy how the author throws some physics terms into the narrative. This allows older science nerds (like me) to enjoy this story on an entirely different level.