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Space Takers
When superpowers are based off insecurities, the villain is the least of their problems.
Something is decidedly suspicious about the school lunch. When Helen Hughes dares her friends to try a bite, their so-called “potato pact” results in more than just a trip to the nurse’s office. The first weeks of middle school can be hard enough for new sixth-graders, but add uncontrollable super powers to the mix and it is, literally, a whole new dodge ball game.
Helen’s best friend, Cathy, wants to find out how to reverse this, before her sudden hyperactivity causes her to get any grade lower than an A. Danni is positive her humiliating new growth problem will ruin her chances at popularity. And Kat? Well, Kat doesn’t even want to be here, let alone accidentally claw the place to shreds. At the very least, they need to figure out how to survive a semester with the world’s lamest super powers.
Practice makes perfect, or so they hope, but between Helen’s mad hair days and Danni’s imploded bathroom, the girls start to wonder. Are they really even friends at all? Or, are they just four incredibly different nobodies, united against the common enemy of school-wide embarrassment?
Before they get too comfortable with the status quo, they discover someone else like them, some unseen villain who is leaving students and faculty mummified and covered in sugar. Gross. From the kooky lunch lady to the mashed potato tsunami, things at Pearson Middle School are getting out of hand! Charismatic as ever, Helen has to put aside her laid back attitude to convince her friends that they are the only ones who can stop the villain and fix this mess, at the risk of tearing their friendship apart.
For fans of ensemble stories (think TMNT or Ghostbusters), bonds of friendship, and knowing oneself, Space Takers will appeal to those who look to see the mundane turned upside down and the unbelievable made matter-of-fact. A hilarious take on what it is to deal with super powers in a world that has never seen them before, this novel will entertain its upper-middle-grade readers and anyone looking for a fun and funny adventure with lovable characters and crazy predicaments at every turn.
Something is decidedly suspicious about the school lunch. When Helen Hughes dares her friends to try a bite, their so-called “potato pact” results in more than just a trip to the nurse’s office. The first weeks of middle school can be hard enough for new sixth-graders, but add uncontrollable super powers to the mix and it is, literally, a whole new dodge ball game.
Helen’s best friend, Cathy, wants to find out how to reverse this, before her sudden hyperactivity causes her to get any grade lower than an A. Danni is positive her humiliating new growth problem will ruin her chances at popularity. And Kat? Well, Kat doesn’t even want to be here, let alone accidentally claw the place to shreds. At the very least, they need to figure out how to survive a semester with the world’s lamest super powers.
Practice makes perfect, or so they hope, but between Helen’s mad hair days and Danni’s imploded bathroom, the girls start to wonder. Are they really even friends at all? Or, are they just four incredibly different nobodies, united against the common enemy of school-wide embarrassment?
Before they get too comfortable with the status quo, they discover someone else like them, some unseen villain who is leaving students and faculty mummified and covered in sugar. Gross. From the kooky lunch lady to the mashed potato tsunami, things at Pearson Middle School are getting out of hand! Charismatic as ever, Helen has to put aside her laid back attitude to convince her friends that they are the only ones who can stop the villain and fix this mess, at the risk of tearing their friendship apart.
For fans of ensemble stories (think TMNT or Ghostbusters), bonds of friendship, and knowing oneself, Space Takers will appeal to those who look to see the mundane turned upside down and the unbelievable made matter-of-fact. A hilarious take on what it is to deal with super powers in a world that has never seen them before, this novel will entertain its upper-middle-grade readers and anyone looking for a fun and funny adventure with lovable characters and crazy predicaments at every turn.
324 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such a cute book! This MG novel follows four girls on a bizarre, but fun, adventure. I thought the story concepts were super creative. I like that the main setting was a school, rather than taking us to an alternate world. I think younger readers will appreciate a more grounded, relatable fantasy/scifi story. The dynamics of the characters felt realistic, especially when real world problems were mixed in, like struggling to make friends or figure out which social group to be a part of. It was entertaining to read about the cast navigating their new "superpowers" and fight the villains of this installment. The origin of all the problems was so funny to me. I loved it. I'm looking forward to this author's next works.
May 12, 2026
A new term at school is not going to be what any of them thought it was going to be. They end up with superpowers but they are not the ones they would ever want as they seems useless. They will try to find out if they are really friends at first and an great read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a. A wonderful read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a. A wonderful read
November 20, 2025
I absolutely love Space Takers! (Although it did ruin mashed potatoes for me, lol) My favorite character is Helen because she looks so much like me! Plus Helen even acts like me! (except my hair is MUCH shorter) I did really like Space Takers and I would LOVE to see more work from this author. -A
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews