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A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems
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.
Everyone knows that superheroes are supposed to have awesome powers like strength or invisibility or flight. But what happens when you’re a mostly regular kid . . . who’s just a little bit super?
In these hilarious and thought-provoking stories from today’s top middle grade authors, a group of kids are each coping with a recently discovered minor superpower. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell when an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of animals in the pet store—which can be about as heart-tugging as you might imagine. It’s hard enough to be in middle school even without some weird ability, but these kids not only find their way to owning their unique powers and potential, they use them to change things for the better . . . and getting there with them is half the fun!
These playful tales prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it.
""Award-winning contributors keep delightfully inclusive and accomplished company in this emotionally grounded, compassionate collection. . . . These are not your run-of-the-mill, cape-and-tights-clad superheroes. These are kids with relatable struggles learning to embrace that quirky bit of themselves that makes them unique."" —ALA Booklist (starred review)
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.
Everyone knows that superheroes are supposed to have awesome powers like strength or invisibility or flight. But what happens when you’re a mostly regular kid . . . who’s just a little bit super?
In these hilarious and thought-provoking stories from today’s top middle grade authors, a group of kids are each coping with a recently discovered minor superpower. One can shape-shift—but only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell when an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of animals in the pet store—which can be about as heart-tugging as you might imagine. It’s hard enough to be in middle school even without some weird ability, but these kids not only find their way to owning their unique powers and potential, they use them to change things for the better . . . and getting there with them is half the fun!
These playful tales prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it.
""Award-winning contributors keep delightfully inclusive and accomplished company in this emotionally grounded, compassionate collection. . . . These are not your run-of-the-mill, cape-and-tights-clad superheroes. These are kids with relatable struggles learning to embrace that quirky bit of themselves that makes them unique."" —ALA Booklist (starred review)
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.
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Published April 23, 2024
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About the author
Gary D. Schmidt
76 books2,144 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 - 30 of 51 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 ||
December 1, 2024
Meh. The stories are mostly cute but forgettable.
May 19, 2024
Disappointed in the short stories, only a couple of them were well written.
June 22, 2024
Great collection of short stories for middle grade. I loved the quirky theme behind them all - basically, each kid discovers they have some sort of superpower, but they're not your typical powers. One can tell how ripe an avocado is. One can hear the thoughts of animals - but only on one day of the week.
2.4 Seconds to Sonder by Pablo Cartaya
Shift by Nikki Grimes
Matchmaker by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The Chameleon's Kiss by Mitali Perkins
Corwin the Empathic by Brian Young
Fingers Crossed by Kyle Lukoff
Welcome to the Gabby Moore Show by Ibi Zoboi
Roll On by Linda Sue Park
Rescue Day by Leah Henderson
The Hieroglyph, by Gary D. Schmidt
The Boy With the Demon Claw by Daniel Nayeri
Asian Parents Dictionary by Remy Lai
Shadow Rescue by Meg Medina
A River of Thoughts by Jarrett Krosoczka
A lot of the stories had some sweet lessons about learning to love yourself for who you are, appearances vs. expectations, etc. Even when their superpowers didn't seem all that useful, it turns out they still had a lot of value.
A few that stood out to me:
2.4 Seconds to Sonder - Max can time travel and live 1 day in the life of someone else, while only 2.4 seconds pass in his own time. When someone says a date, he time jumps - but he doesn't have any control over whose life he jumps into. He doesn't see it as much of a "power," since he only experiences the lives of ordinary people doing everyday things. But it turns out there is a lot of value in seeing different perspectives and lived experiences.
Corwin the Empathic - Corwin can feel emotions of the other people around him... but when he's in a classroom full of people, he doesn't know who is feeling what. One day at school he feels an intense stress and realizes whoever is dealing with this needs help. But he has to figure out who that person is. It did well at building the urgency and kept me hooked.
Roll On - this is the story where Jamie has the bizarre superpower of knowing which avocados are perfectly ripe. It sounds superfluous, but when her family owns a restaurant struggling during the 2020 shutdowns, being able to make high quality guacamole is more valuable than you would realize. The situation her family is in, and her ability to help, is very moving.
The Hieroglyph - I actually ended up listening to this one twice because it was so intriguing. I won't say too much about it, other than it's smart, clever, surprising, and exciting.
The Boy With the Demon Claw - this one was pretty creepy. Well written but just not my thing.
I listened to this on audiobook. That means I didn't get to read Jarrett Krosoczka's story, since it's told through illustrations and they didn't attempt to include it in audio form. There are two narrators, one male and one female. The male narrator was very good but I didn't care for the female at all - so that may have taken away from some of those stories for me.
2.4 Seconds to Sonder by Pablo Cartaya
Shift by Nikki Grimes
Matchmaker by Pam Muñoz Ryan
The Chameleon's Kiss by Mitali Perkins
Corwin the Empathic by Brian Young
Fingers Crossed by Kyle Lukoff
Welcome to the Gabby Moore Show by Ibi Zoboi
Roll On by Linda Sue Park
Rescue Day by Leah Henderson
The Hieroglyph, by Gary D. Schmidt
The Boy With the Demon Claw by Daniel Nayeri
Asian Parents Dictionary by Remy Lai
Shadow Rescue by Meg Medina
A River of Thoughts by Jarrett Krosoczka
A lot of the stories had some sweet lessons about learning to love yourself for who you are, appearances vs. expectations, etc. Even when their superpowers didn't seem all that useful, it turns out they still had a lot of value.
A few that stood out to me:
2.4 Seconds to Sonder - Max can time travel and live 1 day in the life of someone else, while only 2.4 seconds pass in his own time. When someone says a date, he time jumps - but he doesn't have any control over whose life he jumps into. He doesn't see it as much of a "power," since he only experiences the lives of ordinary people doing everyday things. But it turns out there is a lot of value in seeing different perspectives and lived experiences.
Corwin the Empathic - Corwin can feel emotions of the other people around him... but when he's in a classroom full of people, he doesn't know who is feeling what. One day at school he feels an intense stress and realizes whoever is dealing with this needs help. But he has to figure out who that person is. It did well at building the urgency and kept me hooked.
Roll On - this is the story where Jamie has the bizarre superpower of knowing which avocados are perfectly ripe. It sounds superfluous, but when her family owns a restaurant struggling during the 2020 shutdowns, being able to make high quality guacamole is more valuable than you would realize. The situation her family is in, and her ability to help, is very moving.
The Hieroglyph - I actually ended up listening to this one twice because it was so intriguing. I won't say too much about it, other than it's smart, clever, surprising, and exciting.
The Boy With the Demon Claw - this one was pretty creepy. Well written but just not my thing.
I listened to this on audiobook. That means I didn't get to read Jarrett Krosoczka's story, since it's told through illustrations and they didn't attempt to include it in audio form. There are two narrators, one male and one female. The male narrator was very good but I didn't care for the female at all - so that may have taken away from some of those stories for me.
July 22, 2024
I picked up this book because one of the editors is one of my all-time favorite authors - Gary D. Schmidt. The theme of this middle grade short stories collection is pretty unique - the protagonist of each story has a minor superpower. For example: in Meg Medina’s story - the protagonist can shape shift into a rodent. In Remy Lai’s story - the protagonist can read minds (telepathy).
After reading the first four stories, I could tell that really good stories can come out of the theme of this collection. However, I was kind of disappointed with the stories written by the big authors at the second half of the collection. Linda Sue Park is a Newbery-winning author but her story here was dull. Daniel Nayeri is a Michael L. Printz Award-winning author and a Newbery Honor-winning author, but I didn’t really like his story. I also expected a lot from one of my all-time favorite authors - Remy Lai. Her story was okay I guess. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, given the interesting theme of the collection, the stories from these big authors could have been better. I think my favorite stories from this collection would be from Nikki Grimes and Meg Medina.
After reading the first four stories, I could tell that really good stories can come out of the theme of this collection. However, I was kind of disappointed with the stories written by the big authors at the second half of the collection. Linda Sue Park is a Newbery-winning author but her story here was dull. Daniel Nayeri is a Michael L. Printz Award-winning author and a Newbery Honor-winning author, but I didn’t really like his story. I also expected a lot from one of my all-time favorite authors - Remy Lai. Her story was okay I guess. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, given the interesting theme of the collection, the stories from these big authors could have been better. I think my favorite stories from this collection would be from Nikki Grimes and Meg Medina.
July 4, 2024
I'm a fan of short story collections, and this one is fantastic! What a concept, turning the superhero trope upside down! Some of the stories I enjoyed more than others, and I look forward to seeing the finished copy with Jarrett Krosoczka's art. Each story focuses on a middle-grade character who has a "minor" superpower, and each author brings something special to their tale, from a kid who can suddenly detect the best avocados (ngl, that's an awesome superpower!) to an inherited matchmaking power. The idea of having special powers is examined through different lenses and while each story has a "moral," some are more apparent than others. What I loved the most was the individuality and creativity of each clever story. I hope that readers will find some new favorite authors through this delightful collection.
May 20, 2024
I love a good collection of short stories and went into this book with high hopes. Most of the hopes were met and some weren’t. Really liked most of the stories. Loved the idea of tiny super powers and got me excited about to learn what the next super power was. Enjoyed how the graphic novel part connected the stories together.
One of the stories though had a person who wants to be trans-gender. Made me sad because I love Gray Schmidt as an author. I hope he doesn’t include something like this in his other books. If you’re looking for a fast short story read then this is great, just skip the chapter titled “fingers crossed.”
One of the stories though had a person who wants to be trans-gender. Made me sad because I love Gray Schmidt as an author. I hope he doesn’t include something like this in his other books. If you’re looking for a fast short story read then this is great, just skip the chapter titled “fingers crossed.”
July 7, 2024
I read this for the Gary Schmidt connection, but even his contribution (which wasn’t terrible but which didn’t have much of anything to say) to this anthology of stories about grade school kids with minor superpowers couldn’t save it.
June 26, 2024
It was good, but to be candid some of the superpowers never seemed like superpowers at all.
June 19, 2024
I was disappointed with most of the stories. I didn’t love any, even by authors whose other works I have enjoyed. A few pushed current agendas, so I cannot recommend it for most kids or families I know.
March 14, 2025
"2.4 seconds to SONDER" By Pablo Cartaya. The main character's small superpower is time jumping. When someone says a full date, with the day and the year, he jumps to that date and sees 24 hours through the eyes of a random person somewhere in the world. In the present though, he is only gone for 2.4 seconds The main character is an nonentity at school, with a nickname of NPC. For a while, his superpower gains him unwanted attention, both from classmates, and then from government agents who take him away and interrogate him for hours. But what good is seeing the world through random people‘s eyes? He can’t influence anything, just observe. But there must be some value. I liked this story, though it took a while to get into, and I think there were a few too many descriptions of the people whose lives he looked into. But I thought the message overall was a good one.
"Matchmaker" by Pam Munoz Ryan. Women in the main character's family have a gift of matchmaking. Not simply romantic, but also friendship, and other relationships, or even matching someone with the perfect house (I think). What the main character really wishes for is a friend, since there are no children in her neighborhood and all of the kids at school have known each other forever and already have friends. One day, when someone from school shows up with her big sister who needs a date, the main character's grandmother gives her the job and says she’s ready. And she is. This was sweet and low conflict. The main character showed that it’s really about being observant and making connections. And maybe she finds a friend along the way.
"The chameleon's kiss" by Mitali Perkins. In this book, the main character has recently moved from India to California and is stressed about not fitting in with the popular California girls at her new school. She’s also worried that her Indian grandmother will be staying with her, and her grandmother always wants to turn her into the Bengali schoolgirl that her grandmother was as a child. A kiss from a magical chameleon let her try out being expert in both. But is that what she really wants? This one was fun, and I liked that it wasn’t as stressful as I anticipated. Obviously it’s teaching a lesson, but it’s not a bad lesson. I like the descriptions of the Indian clothing and food, so the world was well built.
"Corwin, the empathetic" by Brian Young. Corwin can sense others' emotions. He hasn’t quite perfected his skill, so when he senses that someone in his small class is stressed, it takes him a while to figure out who it is. I liked this one because the ability was actually useful. Corwin figured out how to use it well.
"Fingers crossed" by Kyle Lukoff. Wyeth can make simple wishes come true with a cross of his fingers. He’s tried it with bigger wishes, but it never works. There’s one wish he keeps trying, though; every day, he wishes to be a boy. It never works, but is there another way to make that happen? I like this one too. It seems like a pretty good power, even if it’s small. Even the smallest wish can point you in the right direction though.
"Welcome to the Gabby Moore show" by Ibi Zoboi. Gabby Moore says affirmations every morning about her powerful voice. She uses it at school to be an upstander, speaking up whenever she sees unfairness. This lands her in the principal's office just as often as the people she reports on. Is there a better way to use her voice? I’m not quite sure I understood the magic of this one. If her voice was magic, why was she always getting in trouble for it and driving other people crazy? And then she does something that should have gotten her suspended, but for some reason she doesn’t. I thought the message here was a little unclear.
"Roll on" by Linda Sue Park. Jamie's family runs a Korean restaurant which is teetering on the brink of failure during the pandemic, like all restaurants, but particularly Asian restaurants. When they decide to go to an all gimbop menu for lunch, Jamie discovers that she has a secret super sense for detecting the ripeness of avocados. I really liked the details in this one, and how the world was really well built, even in a short story. I liked the unusual super sense. I think we would all like to be able to identify perfectly ripe avocados!
"Rescue day" by Leah Henderson. In the story, the main character can hear the voices of all animals, trees, water, anything natural. But only on Tuesdays. That is the day that she goes to the local discount pet store, and rescues friends who are on their last hope. She’s been forbidden by her grandmother to bring more animals home, because the developer is attempting to take over their apartment complex, and the health inspectors are on the way. This time, though, Wellington and her animals and other friends are going to do something about it. I felt a little confused by this one, wondering where Wellington lived, based on all the animals that she has adopted. Also, this felt like the first chapter of a book rather than a short story; it felt very unfinished.
"The hieroglyph" by Gary Schmidt. Malcolm‘s seventh grade class is having a visit from a Smithsonian researcher in hieroglyphs. The first problem is that he’s not as good a researcher as he thinks. The second problem is that Malcolm unfortunately--and accidentally--let him know that. The third problem is that the researcher recognizes Malcolm. The fourth problem is that the researcher is in over his head. Gary Schmidt is such an amazing writer. He never says exactly what is happening, just shows it. To be honest, I’m not sure I entirely understood what happened, but I understood what was happening, if that makes sense. This would be a great read aloud.
"The boy with the Demon claw" by Daniel Nayeri. The main character has been pushed around and ignored by his classmates for years. He prays for revenge, and the response is a demon or two, snarky, but powerful. What happens when he makes use of the power? I didn’t like this one because it didn’t have a good ending. It was depressing.
"Asian parents dictionary" by Remy Lai. Theo is not a stereotypical Asian kid. He’s bad at math, average at violin. His stereotypical Asian parents don’t know what to make of him. What he can do, though, is read minds in a limited fashion. Which is what he is doing now, from the stage of the talent show. I’m not 100% sure that I got this one. I did think the message about no one is required to be a stereotype was good and not to worry if you’re not a stereotype, because you don’t represent your entire race. I just wasn’t sure if the story quite worked.
"Shadow rescue: a tale of heroic rodentia" by Meg Medina. The main character's superpower is turning into a rodent, and being able to talk to rodents. Makes it hard that her mother's job is pest control! One of the main character's best friends is the class guinea pig, which is what makes it such a tragedy that the teacher chose the worst kid in the class to take care of the guinea pig over break. The main character is going to do something about that. This one was fun and quirky, and about friendship and those who need it. And not judging a book by its cover. It also had a lot of humor, which kids always appreciate.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection!
"Matchmaker" by Pam Munoz Ryan. Women in the main character's family have a gift of matchmaking. Not simply romantic, but also friendship, and other relationships, or even matching someone with the perfect house (I think). What the main character really wishes for is a friend, since there are no children in her neighborhood and all of the kids at school have known each other forever and already have friends. One day, when someone from school shows up with her big sister who needs a date, the main character's grandmother gives her the job and says she’s ready. And she is. This was sweet and low conflict. The main character showed that it’s really about being observant and making connections. And maybe she finds a friend along the way.
"The chameleon's kiss" by Mitali Perkins. In this book, the main character has recently moved from India to California and is stressed about not fitting in with the popular California girls at her new school. She’s also worried that her Indian grandmother will be staying with her, and her grandmother always wants to turn her into the Bengali schoolgirl that her grandmother was as a child. A kiss from a magical chameleon let her try out being expert in both. But is that what she really wants? This one was fun, and I liked that it wasn’t as stressful as I anticipated. Obviously it’s teaching a lesson, but it’s not a bad lesson. I like the descriptions of the Indian clothing and food, so the world was well built.
"Corwin, the empathetic" by Brian Young. Corwin can sense others' emotions. He hasn’t quite perfected his skill, so when he senses that someone in his small class is stressed, it takes him a while to figure out who it is. I liked this one because the ability was actually useful. Corwin figured out how to use it well.
"Fingers crossed" by Kyle Lukoff. Wyeth can make simple wishes come true with a cross of his fingers. He’s tried it with bigger wishes, but it never works. There’s one wish he keeps trying, though; every day, he wishes to be a boy. It never works, but is there another way to make that happen? I like this one too. It seems like a pretty good power, even if it’s small. Even the smallest wish can point you in the right direction though.
"Welcome to the Gabby Moore show" by Ibi Zoboi. Gabby Moore says affirmations every morning about her powerful voice. She uses it at school to be an upstander, speaking up whenever she sees unfairness. This lands her in the principal's office just as often as the people she reports on. Is there a better way to use her voice? I’m not quite sure I understood the magic of this one. If her voice was magic, why was she always getting in trouble for it and driving other people crazy? And then she does something that should have gotten her suspended, but for some reason she doesn’t. I thought the message here was a little unclear.
"Roll on" by Linda Sue Park. Jamie's family runs a Korean restaurant which is teetering on the brink of failure during the pandemic, like all restaurants, but particularly Asian restaurants. When they decide to go to an all gimbop menu for lunch, Jamie discovers that she has a secret super sense for detecting the ripeness of avocados. I really liked the details in this one, and how the world was really well built, even in a short story. I liked the unusual super sense. I think we would all like to be able to identify perfectly ripe avocados!
"Rescue day" by Leah Henderson. In the story, the main character can hear the voices of all animals, trees, water, anything natural. But only on Tuesdays. That is the day that she goes to the local discount pet store, and rescues friends who are on their last hope. She’s been forbidden by her grandmother to bring more animals home, because the developer is attempting to take over their apartment complex, and the health inspectors are on the way. This time, though, Wellington and her animals and other friends are going to do something about it. I felt a little confused by this one, wondering where Wellington lived, based on all the animals that she has adopted. Also, this felt like the first chapter of a book rather than a short story; it felt very unfinished.
"The hieroglyph" by Gary Schmidt. Malcolm‘s seventh grade class is having a visit from a Smithsonian researcher in hieroglyphs. The first problem is that he’s not as good a researcher as he thinks. The second problem is that Malcolm unfortunately--and accidentally--let him know that. The third problem is that the researcher recognizes Malcolm. The fourth problem is that the researcher is in over his head. Gary Schmidt is such an amazing writer. He never says exactly what is happening, just shows it. To be honest, I’m not sure I entirely understood what happened, but I understood what was happening, if that makes sense. This would be a great read aloud.
"The boy with the Demon claw" by Daniel Nayeri. The main character has been pushed around and ignored by his classmates for years. He prays for revenge, and the response is a demon or two, snarky, but powerful. What happens when he makes use of the power? I didn’t like this one because it didn’t have a good ending. It was depressing.
"Asian parents dictionary" by Remy Lai. Theo is not a stereotypical Asian kid. He’s bad at math, average at violin. His stereotypical Asian parents don’t know what to make of him. What he can do, though, is read minds in a limited fashion. Which is what he is doing now, from the stage of the talent show. I’m not 100% sure that I got this one. I did think the message about no one is required to be a stereotype was good and not to worry if you’re not a stereotype, because you don’t represent your entire race. I just wasn’t sure if the story quite worked.
"Shadow rescue: a tale of heroic rodentia" by Meg Medina. The main character's superpower is turning into a rodent, and being able to talk to rodents. Makes it hard that her mother's job is pest control! One of the main character's best friends is the class guinea pig, which is what makes it such a tragedy that the teacher chose the worst kid in the class to take care of the guinea pig over break. The main character is going to do something about that. This one was fun and quirky, and about friendship and those who need it. And not judging a book by its cover. It also had a lot of humor, which kids always appreciate.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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!
May 2, 2024
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.
I love the way the graphic elements add another story and are woven to create an over arching narrative arc.
It’s really well done.
[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.
I love the way the graphic elements add another story and are woven to create an over arching narrative arc.
It’s really well done.
September 5, 2024
The premise for this book was one I absolutely love: Person with a seemingly insignificant power makes some sort of difference. I have always loved the idea of small things making some sort of impact in the world. Gary D. Schmidt, Leah Henderson and other well-known authors have taken this theme and created very good stories exploring the concept. Here are a list of my favorite stories:
2.4 Seconds to Sonder, by Pablo Cartaya. A young boy has the ability to "time-jump" into peoples' lives whenever a specific date is mentioned, say September 11, 2001. However, he has no control over which life he will inhabit, and the lives seem so mundane and unimportant. A poignant story of learning to appreciate the seemingly insignificant things. They might be of more value than we think.
Shift, by Nikki Grimes. A story-in-verse about a girl who can shapeshift one part of her body, but only on Mondays. When mean girls at her school target her, she tries to change herself to please them. An excellent story about bullying and self-acceptance.
Matchmaker, by Pam Munoz Ryan. A thoroughly sweet story about a girl whose grandmother's matchmaking abilities run in the family.
Corwin the Empathic, by Brian Young. A boy can sense the emotions of his classmates, but who is experiencing such fear and sadness? A poignant tale of helping whenever we can.
Fingers Crossed, by Kyle Lukoff. Fingers crossing can grant a character small wishes, but can it grant the biggest wish of all? Interesting concept and a story that references autism. I kind of wish this aspect of the story had been explored a bit more, but the overall story is very good.
Roll On, by Linda Sue Park. A girl who can determine which avocadoes are ripest works to save her family's Korean restaurant during the pandemic. I want to try kimbap now. A sweet story.
Rescue Day, by Leah Henderson. Talking to animals helps a girl who is attempting to save her grandmother's apartment complex. Very funny story.
The Hieroglyph, by Gary D. Schmidt. Is time truly linear, and what if someone could manipulate it? An intriguing premise told very well.
Shadow Rescue: A Tale of Heroic Rodentia, by Meg Medina. A girl can shapeshift into rodent form. When the class bully is chosen to keep the class's guinea pig over the winter break, the girl is determined to rescue the class pet from such a fate. A story of learning empathy and of how things aren't always what they seem.
A fun and intriguing book with a clever premise and nice variations on a theme. God bless you all.
2.4 Seconds to Sonder, by Pablo Cartaya. A young boy has the ability to "time-jump" into peoples' lives whenever a specific date is mentioned, say September 11, 2001. However, he has no control over which life he will inhabit, and the lives seem so mundane and unimportant. A poignant story of learning to appreciate the seemingly insignificant things. They might be of more value than we think.
Shift, by Nikki Grimes. A story-in-verse about a girl who can shapeshift one part of her body, but only on Mondays. When mean girls at her school target her, she tries to change herself to please them. An excellent story about bullying and self-acceptance.
Matchmaker, by Pam Munoz Ryan. A thoroughly sweet story about a girl whose grandmother's matchmaking abilities run in the family.
Corwin the Empathic, by Brian Young. A boy can sense the emotions of his classmates, but who is experiencing such fear and sadness? A poignant tale of helping whenever we can.
Fingers Crossed, by Kyle Lukoff. Fingers crossing can grant a character small wishes, but can it grant the biggest wish of all? Interesting concept and a story that references autism. I kind of wish this aspect of the story had been explored a bit more, but the overall story is very good.
Roll On, by Linda Sue Park. A girl who can determine which avocadoes are ripest works to save her family's Korean restaurant during the pandemic. I want to try kimbap now. A sweet story.
Rescue Day, by Leah Henderson. Talking to animals helps a girl who is attempting to save her grandmother's apartment complex. Very funny story.
The Hieroglyph, by Gary D. Schmidt. Is time truly linear, and what if someone could manipulate it? An intriguing premise told very well.
Shadow Rescue: A Tale of Heroic Rodentia, by Meg Medina. A girl can shapeshift into rodent form. When the class bully is chosen to keep the class's guinea pig over the winter break, the girl is determined to rescue the class pet from such a fate. A story of learning empathy and of how things aren't always what they seem.
A fun and intriguing book with a clever premise and nice variations on a theme. God bless you all.
January 23, 2025
A Little Bit Super is a captivating collection of 14 short stories that delve into the fantastical powers of children, each tale offering thought-provoking themes and reflections. The beauty of short stories lies in their ability to provide immediate gratification, allowing readers to enjoy and discuss an entire story in one sitting.
Just having an introduction by Gary D. Schmidt is enough to pull me in and it is incredible, but the high continues as you dive into the first story. "2.4 Seconds to Sonder," introduces us to Maximiliano, a boy with an extraordinary ability. Whenever he hears a date, he travels back in time to that date, inhabiting the body of a random person somewhere in the world. Although his experiences as the other person feel lengthy, in reality, he's only gone for 2.4 seconds, appearing to zone out to those around him. This brief duration allows him to keep his gift under the radar—until he reveals it to a friend, who then shares it with their entire class.
Soon, authorities arrive at Maximiliano's door, hoping to use his ability to alter history by sending him back to significant events like September 11, 2001. However, they discover that Maximiliano cannot control where he goes and often ends up far from any infamous event, experiencing the day as the person he inhabits. On one such occasion, he finds himself in the body of a man in Los Angeles, reading a newspaper in a coffee shop with his child, feeling the fear of what the future holds.
The story concludes with the FEDS deeming his gift "pointless" and letting him go. But is it truly pointless? The story invites readers to ponder the concept of sonder—the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as one's own.
In addition to the compelling narratives, A Little Bit Super features graphic novel segments between each chapter, adding a visual dimension that enhances the storytelling experience. These illustrations provide a unique and engaging way to transition between stories, making the book even more immersive.
With contributions from renowned and prolific authors such as Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Kyle Lukoff, and Pam Muñoz Ryan, this collection promises a diverse and enriching reading experience.
Just having an introduction by Gary D. Schmidt is enough to pull me in and it is incredible, but the high continues as you dive into the first story. "2.4 Seconds to Sonder," introduces us to Maximiliano, a boy with an extraordinary ability. Whenever he hears a date, he travels back in time to that date, inhabiting the body of a random person somewhere in the world. Although his experiences as the other person feel lengthy, in reality, he's only gone for 2.4 seconds, appearing to zone out to those around him. This brief duration allows him to keep his gift under the radar—until he reveals it to a friend, who then shares it with their entire class.
Soon, authorities arrive at Maximiliano's door, hoping to use his ability to alter history by sending him back to significant events like September 11, 2001. However, they discover that Maximiliano cannot control where he goes and often ends up far from any infamous event, experiencing the day as the person he inhabits. On one such occasion, he finds himself in the body of a man in Los Angeles, reading a newspaper in a coffee shop with his child, feeling the fear of what the future holds.
The story concludes with the FEDS deeming his gift "pointless" and letting him go. But is it truly pointless? The story invites readers to ponder the concept of sonder—the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as one's own.
In addition to the compelling narratives, A Little Bit Super features graphic novel segments between each chapter, adding a visual dimension that enhances the storytelling experience. These illustrations provide a unique and engaging way to transition between stories, making the book even more immersive.
With contributions from renowned and prolific authors such as Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Kyle Lukoff, and Pam Muñoz Ryan, this collection promises a diverse and enriching reading experience.
May 27, 2024
Fourteen powerhouse middle grade authors offer short stories on what it would be like to have a small superpower. We’re not talking about flying or invisibility here; the powers in this book are idiosyncratic and unique to each tween. Maximiliano, in Pablo Cartaya’s 2.4 Seconds to Sonder, is a sonder – he time travels to random people’s lives for 2.4 seconds. Corwin can sense other people’s emotions, in Brian Young’s Corwin the Empathetic. In Kyle Lukoff’s Fingers Crossed, Wyeth is able to sway events to go their way when they cross their fingers. Quinton, in Daniel Nayeri’s The Boy with the Demon Claw, has a demonic claw on his right arm that does “what’s interesting.” And Jarret Krosoczka’s River imagines all of these kids in her drawings, in A River of Thoughts..
In each story, the protagonist learns something about themself by working with or around their superpower. Imara, a shape shifter, learns to love herself, even if other don’t, in Nikki Grimes’s story in verse, Shift. In Remy Lai’s Asian Parents Dictionary, Theo, a mind reader and self-professed “terrible Asian,” learns a lot about people’s expectations of him as an Asian. Jarret Krosoczka’s A River of Thoughts is the only graphic story, and its black and white pictorial episodes intertwine between each story as River learns about heroes and using her artistic talents for good. The authors and their protagonists are diverse middle grade kids, with or without parents, some without friends, and some facing real hardship. There is heartrending poignancy (Kyle Lukoff and Linda Sue Park) and laugh-out-loud funny (Remy Lai.) There really is something for just about everyone here.
I like the conceit of the strange, sometimes funny, and always very specific superpowers. It really does illustrate the point ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ And it’s easy to dip in and out of the book without losing momentum.
In each story, the protagonist learns something about themself by working with or around their superpower. Imara, a shape shifter, learns to love herself, even if other don’t, in Nikki Grimes’s story in verse, Shift. In Remy Lai’s Asian Parents Dictionary, Theo, a mind reader and self-professed “terrible Asian,” learns a lot about people’s expectations of him as an Asian. Jarret Krosoczka’s A River of Thoughts is the only graphic story, and its black and white pictorial episodes intertwine between each story as River learns about heroes and using her artistic talents for good. The authors and their protagonists are diverse middle grade kids, with or without parents, some without friends, and some facing real hardship. There is heartrending poignancy (Kyle Lukoff and Linda Sue Park) and laugh-out-loud funny (Remy Lai.) There really is something for just about everyone here.
I like the conceit of the strange, sometimes funny, and always very specific superpowers. It really does illustrate the point ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ And it’s easy to dip in and out of the book without losing momentum.
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 1, 2025
A Little Bit Super is an entertaining story within a group of short stories.
The short stories are written by fourteen accomplished YA authors. Each story tells the tale of a middle schooler who has some type of superpower. Authors include Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Nikki Grimes, Pam Munoz Ryan, Linda Sue Parks and Gary Schmidt to name just a few. Krosoczka’s graphic novel tells the story of River, a talented artist/writer, who “hears the stories of the other tweens” and writes them down. The book is divided into two sections: The Power Of Discovering Who We Are and The Power of Being Who We Are. The superpowers range from shape shifting to matchmaking to time jumping. The stories vary in form, poetry and graphic, as well as tone, humorous and scary. I certainly had my favorites. Readers will find something to love in the collection.
This book would be a wonderful read aloud or class read. There are lots of ideas for great class discussions. I haven’t seen many short story collections aimed at middle grades. This is a really good one.
I Highly Recommend this title for school and public libraries serving grades five and up.
M.A.C.
Ret. School Librarian
The short stories are written by fourteen accomplished YA authors. Each story tells the tale of a middle schooler who has some type of superpower. Authors include Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Nikki Grimes, Pam Munoz Ryan, Linda Sue Parks and Gary Schmidt to name just a few. Krosoczka’s graphic novel tells the story of River, a talented artist/writer, who “hears the stories of the other tweens” and writes them down. The book is divided into two sections: The Power Of Discovering Who We Are and The Power of Being Who We Are. The superpowers range from shape shifting to matchmaking to time jumping. The stories vary in form, poetry and graphic, as well as tone, humorous and scary. I certainly had my favorites. Readers will find something to love in the collection.
This book would be a wonderful read aloud or class read. There are lots of ideas for great class discussions. I haven’t seen many short story collections aimed at middle grades. This is a really good one.
I Highly Recommend this title for school and public libraries serving grades five and up.
M.A.C.
Ret. School Librarian
July 3, 2024
What if you had a small superpower, one that didn't give you the ability to fight super villains? I loved the variety of abilities: to tell if an avocado was ripe, or the ability to sense other people's emotions (but to do so makes you look like you're constipated), or the ability to have wishes come true (as long as they're not too big). Middle schoolers are beginning to deal with their bodies doing strange things anyway, and these tie the characters into learning things that every middle schooler is learning anyway (such as getting along with people, finding your crowd, or having the courage to do the right thing). An intermittent "graphic novel" thread between the stories ties them together, as the girl has to draw pictures of the next person even when it gets her in trouble in her own life.
July 17, 2024
An anthology in which each of the characters of the respective stories have a bit of superpower in them-- but it's not always fantastical, magical, or scifi. For some, it's the ability to speak up, share out, and help others.
Each story brings its own interpretation and flavor to the collection so of course there are favorites. What I do like is that each one also varies the format in addition to the topics. For instance, Grimes uses her wonderful verse format while Schmidt does what he does best in creating amazing characters and situations that make readers reflect (and laugh). The string of graphic panels throughout it, I was indifferent too.
But I can always enjoy a little superhero/superpowerness in my reading life.
Each story brings its own interpretation and flavor to the collection so of course there are favorites. What I do like is that each one also varies the format in addition to the topics. For instance, Grimes uses her wonderful verse format while Schmidt does what he does best in creating amazing characters and situations that make readers reflect (and laugh). The string of graphic panels throughout it, I was indifferent too.
But I can always enjoy a little superhero/superpowerness in my reading life.
October 24, 2024
This is an anthology abput kids discovering they have superpowers - everything from being able to shape-shift to match other people or into a guinnea pig, telepathy, controlling time to minute degree, and more. There are thirteen stories written by thirteen different children's auhors that are linked together by the comic of Robin who must draw the faces or a key part of their journey. Though the premise is intresting and some of the stories were intersting, the anthology lacked being super. Some of the stoies don't seem to really go anywhere and others don't have a true ending and are left so open ended a reader might feel that they missed something. Not knocking the various writers, but this book just didn't work for me.
December 30, 2024
A delightful collection of stories about middle schoolers with big problems and small unique abilities. Tiny, odd, seemingly-useless, irrelevant, sometimes annoying, supernatural abilities. The power to sense when avocados are perfectly ripe. The power to change one feature of their body, but only temporarily and only on Mondays. The power of matchmaking. The power to speak to animals, but only on Tuesdays. Chameleonic mimicking of others. Yet each ability plays a role in helping each character find more empathy for themselves and others, solve their problems, and make the world a slightly better place. They're inspiring and fun.
January 24, 2025
This was just fun. It took me a story or two to get engaged, but I appreciated the graphic intermissions that connected all the stories, and each short story approached the idea of small superpowers in an interesting way. I really liked that several stories used their superpowers to increase empathy or understanding of others or offered some self-reflection. I enjoyed this.
I think if I had a small superpower, I would want to be able to force people to really see themselves as they truly are. Maybe only on the last Friday of the month after I've just eaten a chocolate donut.
I think if I had a small superpower, I would want to be able to force people to really see themselves as they truly are. Maybe only on the last Friday of the month after I've just eaten a chocolate donut.
April 23, 2025
What if you had a super power? Another collection of middle-grade short stories, linked this time with a comic thread, following River, who can't stop drawing people she imagines (or senses?). Each character has a super power, and there's an imaginative variety of short term, small or large powers. There are some beautiful stories in here from Meg Medina, Gary Schmidt, Mitali Perkins and Pam Munoz Ryan. (Some sadly miss the mark.)
August 15, 2025
I was under the impression, from the Amazon blurb, that this book was by Gary Schmidt—who is one of my favorite middle grade authors. But alas, I evidently didn’t look close enough at the details of the description, and this was a compilation by many authors. As with all the short story collections I’ve read, some of these I resonated with, others I did not. It’s not that they were bad writing, because they were not. Most were fun to read, some just didn’t float my boat.
September 22, 2025
Middle school comes with a host of challenges--even more so if you can, say, shift your body so your hands are EXACTLY like someone else's. Or tune into everyone's emotions--or animals' thoughts! Or COMPLETELY copy the popular girl.
By times hilarious, heartwarming, and heart pounding.
Content note--these kids represent the full gamut of today's middle schoolers, so if that concerns you as a parent, consider pre-skimming.
By times hilarious, heartwarming, and heart pounding.
Content note--these kids represent the full gamut of today's middle schoolers, so if that concerns you as a parent, consider pre-skimming.
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.
May 26, 2024
I loved this collection of short stories, each based on a 7th grader with a small power. Not a super power, but a small power. Great messages and very readable. Each story is written by a well-known middle grade author. I'm excited to read a couple of these to my 5th graders next year.
I received a free copy of this book from Granite Media.
I received a free copy of this book from Granite Media.
June 24, 2024
14 short stories by awesome kids' authors, including Jared Krosoczka, Nikki Grimes, Linda Sue Park, Gary D. Schmidt, and Meg Medina. Each story has a kid who has a random small superpower. One kid can tell when an avocado is perfectly ripe, which may not sound like a lot, but just might save his family's restaurant business. Another kid can talk to animals- pretty cool, eh? An enjoyable read.
December 17, 2023
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Interesting and quirky collection of fantasy short stories.
Interesting and quirky collection of fantasy short stories.
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