A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems
A collection of 14 short stories features middle-school-aged protagonists making use of their atypical superpowers (there’s not a cape in sight). In Brian Young’s “Corwin the Empathic,” a boy who can sense the feelings of others determines which of his classmates is deeply worried before reaching out to help, offering a solution that is grounded in a simple act of friendship rather than extraordinary ability. In Nikki Grimes’s “Shift,” a girl who can physically take on the traits of others finds herself succumbing to pressure the first few days of middle school, changing her looks to fit in. She jeopardizes her best friendship and sense of self before realizing that being herself is enough. Connecting these and 11 other stories is Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s “A River of Thoughts,” an interstitial comic introducing each new protagonist. In it, River is a young artist who has visions of other kids with superpowers and feels compelled to draw them. River’s work brings unwanted attention from shadowy, threatening authority figures, and loner River takes a courageous step by asking classmates for help. The diverse characters and wide range of story styles and tones (Remy Lai’s bittersweetly funny, Daniel Nayeri’s entertainingly bizarre) will appeal to many tastes in a collection that invites readers to consider ways a superpower can be both burden and gift. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Short Stories
Subjects:
Fantasy
Superheroes
Diversity subject:
Multicultural General
Publishers:
Clarion, HarperCollins
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 278
ISBN: 9780358683421
CCBC Location: Fiction, Henderson