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A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 19:16:05
5 copies available
U.S. only
In these hilarious stories by some of the top authors of middle grade fiction today, each young character is coping with a minor superpower—while also discovering their power to change themselves and their community, find their voice, and celebrate what makes them unique. The kids in these humorous short stories each have a minor superpower they’re learning to live with. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell whether an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of the animals in the pet store! But what these stories are really about is their young protagonists “owning” a power that contributes to their individuality, that allows them to find their place in the world, that shows them a potential they might not have imagined. Because if you really think about it, we all have something special and unique about ourselves that makes us a little bit super. We all have the power to change as an individual, to change our communities for the better, to have a voice and to speak up. These playful, thought-provoking tales from some of today’s top middle grade authors prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it. Written by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi; coedited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt.
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 23, 2024
About the author
Gary D. Schmidt
72 books1,859 followersGary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books. He lives on a farm in Alto, Michigan,with his wife and six children, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, feeds the wild cats that drop by and wishes that sometimes the sea breeze came that far inland. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 14, 2024
In a Nutshell: A middle-grade anthology about children who are a “little bit super”, i.e. they have one only little superpower. An interesting and a diverse assortment of stories herein, but as often happens in a multi-author collection, the result is a mixed bag.
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The introductory note sets the right tone for this thirteen-story collection. I love the theme of having a “little superpower”. Superhero stories are usually about great powers such as invisibility or superhuman strength or flight, so imagine having not-so-super powers: a time travel ability where you cannot control where/when you land, or a power that tells you whether a fruit is ripe, as long as the fruit is an avocado. It’s like the superpower adding a clause saying, ‘Conditions apply.’ That uniqueness is the biggest appeal of this book.
The stories are contributed by some of the best contemporary MG-fiction authors such as Pam Muñoz Ryan, Remy Lai, Linda Sue Park, and Daniel Nayeri, among others. The diverse background of the authors also ensures a diversity in the character representation.
The genres are quite varied, ranging from ordinary drama to science fiction to even a story-in-verse.
There appear to be some graphics in between each story. I’d have loved to see these, but the images were missing from my ARC. Graphics would certainly add to the fun of the book.
There is a detailed bio for each author at the end of the book. I wish these were written immediately after the story, so that it would be easier to look up other books by those authors whose stories worked best for us. One thing I liked is that each bio included the mention of one minor superpower the author would choose for themselves; these were fun to read.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Most fell in the mid-range for me, primarily because I liked them but was not blown away by them. My favourite stories were:
Of course, as this collection is aimed at middle graders, they might enjoy the book far better. MG Fiction is actually among my favourite genres, but some MG books seem to be restricted only to their age group. This is one such example.
Recommended to middle-graders wanting to read an unusual superpower story collection with relatable and inclusive characters. Some of these stories would work well for classroom discussions.
3.1 stars, based on the average of my rating for each tale.
My thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “A Little Bit Super”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
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The introductory note sets the right tone for this thirteen-story collection. I love the theme of having a “little superpower”. Superhero stories are usually about great powers such as invisibility or superhuman strength or flight, so imagine having not-so-super powers: a time travel ability where you cannot control where/when you land, or a power that tells you whether a fruit is ripe, as long as the fruit is an avocado. It’s like the superpower adding a clause saying, ‘Conditions apply.’ That uniqueness is the biggest appeal of this book.
The stories are contributed by some of the best contemporary MG-fiction authors such as Pam Muñoz Ryan, Remy Lai, Linda Sue Park, and Daniel Nayeri, among others. The diverse background of the authors also ensures a diversity in the character representation.
The genres are quite varied, ranging from ordinary drama to science fiction to even a story-in-verse.
There appear to be some graphics in between each story. I’d have loved to see these, but the images were missing from my ARC. Graphics would certainly add to the fun of the book.
There is a detailed bio for each author at the end of the book. I wish these were written immediately after the story, so that it would be easier to look up other books by those authors whose stories worked best for us. One thing I liked is that each bio included the mention of one minor superpower the author would choose for themselves; these were fun to read.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Most fell in the mid-range for me, primarily because I liked them but was not blown away by them. My favourite stories were:
🔥 Shift - Nikki Grimes: A story-in-verse about a little girl who can shapeshift only one one day of the week. I loved not just the shapeshift adventures but also the message in this tale. The verse style is also put to good use. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🔥 The Hieroglyph - Gary D. Schmidt: A 'tricky' story and yet so much fun! I loved how the author didn't keep things overly simple nor go into too many explanations despite the young age of the target audience. He lets the story do the talking only to the extent required. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Of course, as this collection is aimed at middle graders, they might enjoy the book far better. MG Fiction is actually among my favourite genres, but some MG books seem to be restricted only to their age group. This is one such example.
Recommended to middle-graders wanting to read an unusual superpower story collection with relatable and inclusive characters. Some of these stories would work well for classroom discussions.
3.1 stars, based on the average of my rating for each tale.
My thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “A Little Bit Super”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
March 26, 2024
A Little Bit Super is a fun collection of short stories that will speak to middle graders. This collection will make a great resource for the classroom. The stories are short enough to use for a lesson, but also contain enduring themes that will help students connect to the world. I plan on using many of the stories from this collection with my 6th graders!
September 25, 2023
I just reviewed A Little Bit Super by Gary D. Schmidt; Leah Henderson; Pablo Cartaya; Nikki Grimes; Jarrett J. Krosoczka; Remy Lai; Kyle Lukoff; Meg Medina; Daniel Nayeri; Linda Sue Park; Mitali Perkins; Brian Young; Ibi Zoboi. #ALittleBitSuper #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]
It is an inspiring anthology of imaginative stories where each storyteller presents a young hero with a super power. It is a perfect collection which gifts young children with a better understanding of the ways in which they’re own individuality is what makes them special. The galley doesn’t offer the graphic elements and I can’t wait to see how they inform with the stories. There are clear diverse characters in the story but even greater than their super powers is their humanity. The kids in this story find their place in the world and build community. These super kids empower young readers to trust in their own human and super powers.
[NetGalley URL]
It is an inspiring anthology of imaginative stories where each storyteller presents a young hero with a super power. It is a perfect collection which gifts young children with a better understanding of the ways in which they’re own individuality is what makes them special. The galley doesn’t offer the graphic elements and I can’t wait to see how they inform with the stories. There are clear diverse characters in the story but even greater than their super powers is their humanity. The kids in this story find their place in the world and build community. These super kids empower young readers to trust in their own human and super powers.
April 11, 2024
A Little Bit Super is a middle-grade anthology about children who are a “little bit super.” No they can’t fly, teleport, read minds, nor shoot out silk webs…instead, they have one little superpower.
For example:
One can see avocados glow meaning the fruit is ripe and good on the inside. It does prove to be useful.
Or there’s having the ability to change according the wishes and values of any person a girl desperately wants to please. But you have to get kissed by a chameleon for this super to happen
This is definitely a unique book containing the account of thirteen middle school kids with a little bit of super. That uniqueness is the biggest appeal of this book, otherwise most of the stories move slowly. Each story is written by a different author with diverse backgrounds. Thus we get diversity in the character representation. Nice! There appear to be some graphics in between each story. These did not come through in the digital edition or maybe they haven’t been decided upon yet. Graphics would certainly add to the fun of the book. Be sure to read the bio of each of the authors at the end. They each mention a minor superpower they would choose for themselves. For example…
Pablo Cartaya… to catch all the green lights
Rent Lai…. Ability to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo the dogs sparkling clean every time they roll in poop
All that said I don’t see a lot of appeal to middle school readers. To me the stories were a bit bland,
For example:
One can see avocados glow meaning the fruit is ripe and good on the inside. It does prove to be useful.
Or there’s having the ability to change according the wishes and values of any person a girl desperately wants to please. But you have to get kissed by a chameleon for this super to happen
This is definitely a unique book containing the account of thirteen middle school kids with a little bit of super. That uniqueness is the biggest appeal of this book, otherwise most of the stories move slowly. Each story is written by a different author with diverse backgrounds. Thus we get diversity in the character representation. Nice! There appear to be some graphics in between each story. These did not come through in the digital edition or maybe they haven’t been decided upon yet. Graphics would certainly add to the fun of the book. Be sure to read the bio of each of the authors at the end. They each mention a minor superpower they would choose for themselves. For example…
Pablo Cartaya… to catch all the green lights
Rent Lai…. Ability to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo the dogs sparkling clean every time they roll in poop
All that said I don’t see a lot of appeal to middle school readers. To me the stories were a bit bland,
February 16, 2024
A who’s who of middle grade writing superstars each share a story of what it would be like to be a 7th grader with a minor superpower - like stopping time briefly, shape shifting to become a Guinea pig, or talking to animals but only on Tuesday. A cheerful,engaging short story collection. EARC from Edelweiss.
December 17, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Interesting and quirky collection of fantasy short stories.
Interesting and quirky collection of fantasy short stories.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews