CHAPTER BOOK: Super by Matthew Cody

[A sequel to Powerless.]
Daniel and his friends survived their battle with The Shroud and, for the most part, are enjoying the freedom of using their powers again. But it seems they are letting down their guard too soon. A new kid in town is watching the supers very closely and suspiciously. Some Shroud-like creatures are attacking the heroes. And Daniel - the powerless one? He's starting to show powers.

This was a GREAT sequel! As I said in my review of Powerless, the premise of these stories is original and engaging. Great tie in to the first book, but not a re-hashing of the same old things. It's been a long time since I read Powerless, but I was able to get back into the rhythm of the story easily. Daniel is a great character who continues to wrestle with the secrets he holds and grows and matures through his triumphs and his mistakes. I can't wait to share this one with my students!

4.5 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.0

Recommended for: fans of Powerless (in this case, it really helps to read the books in order), fans of superhero stories, fans of adventure stories

Cautions: One swear word, spoken in the heat of battle with the villain.

TUESDAY: Powerless

Daniel's family moves to a new town in order to help take care of his grandmother. Daniel discovers that his new friends have superpowers. But he also discovers that someone - or something - is taking their powers and their memories on the day they turn 13. Can Daniel - a boy who can't fly or turn invisible, and isn't super fast or super strong - save his super friends?

This was a great story. The basic idea reminded me of a favorite series of mine - The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy.  But this story is wholly original, which made me love it even more (I have read some books lately that were too much like the books they tried to emulate). I really liked the characters - even a couple who were temporary stars and then lost their powers and disappeared from the narrative. The whole idea of them losing their memories was a key part to the plot, but I liked them and it made the story even more captivating to lose their voices as the story went on.

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