Kid Normal

Kid Normal #1

by Greg James, Chris Smith

For fans of Stuart Gibbs comes a hilarious, illustrated middle-grade adventure debut about a superhero with no superpowers.

When Murph Cooper begins his new school several weeks into the beginning of semester, he can't help but feel a bit out of his depth.

And it's not because he's worried about where to sit, making friends, and fitting in. It's because his mom has enrolled him at a school for superheroes. And unlike his fellow students, who can control the weather or fly or conjure tiny horses from thin air, Murph has no special abilities whatsoever.

But Murph's totally normal abilities might just be what the world needs. Because not far away is a great big bad guy who is half man and half wasp, and his mind is abuzz with evil plans . . .

With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this laugh-out-loud story proves that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Genres: Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fantasy, Humor, Audiobook, School

400 pages, Hardcover

First published July 13, 2017

Reviews

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't need to have superpowers to be super.

This is a wise lesson that a lot of superheroes will be learning in this book.

Because for some silly reason as misheard words Murph is allowed at a school.... for superheroes! Yep, everyone at the school has a Cape. Yes, a Cape, not a clothing item made to have people look either very silly or very awesome (depending on how you wear it), but Capability. Each of these students have one. From silly ones (screaming teeth anyone?) to awesome ones (controlling storm clouds/the weather).
And then there is Murph. Or Kid Normal as he is quickly called. But even with that, and even with the way he gets treated, he doesn't want to leave the school. He is having the best time ever and there is still so much to be explored. Yep, I loved Murph. He never gave up, and he was hard at work to discover all there is about superheroes. Plus, even if he didn't have superpowers, he kept showing that you can be a hero without being super.

I did feel sorry for him, and also his brother. That they had to move around so much. Never being able to make a lot of friends because you may have to move at any moment again. I do wonder what kind of job his mom has, and if she can't just find another job just like it without having to move constantly. Eh, I guess it was some sort of plot device. Meant to add some backstory + make certain events happen.

While I didn't like the fact the school tried to ship off Murph to help the caretaker, in the end I can say it was a good thing. Yes, I am not happy that they have them work, but due to Murph working with the caretaker we find out more and more about the school and about the teachers. The revelation about the caretaker and a certain other person? I loved it!

I loved his friends, or the Superzeroes, their powers were really fun. From flying to summoning horses (tiny ones at that, but hey, horses!). It isn't often that I instantly love characters, but with these kids? I just wanted to know more about them, see what makes them tick. And I loved how accepting they were of Murph. A lot of students treated Murph with disrespect, but these kids liked him for who he was, and wanted to be friends with him.

The later chapters (and thus also the ending) were such a blast. I loved seeing our Superzeroes try to figure out how to save their classmates, they were really great, and I don't think any adults (or better superheroes) could have done it better. It was all really exciting to read + I was cheering when these kids found out more about their powers and what they could do. They learned more in that short time span than the months in CT class (then again, it isn't a big surprise with such a terrible teacher).

Some extra about the ending. I won't spoil anything, but it was such a delight to read and I was cheering all the way. Those 5 definitely deserved what they got. I was happy with how it all came together in the end, as there were some things that were a bit worrying.

I didn't like the villain at all. I know, I know, we are meant to dislike him, but I really really disliked him. I just hate wasps with a passion. They are vile creatures. So yeah, I wasn't all too happy with getting a POV for them, or someone close to them. Ick, no. Bah. So I wasn't all too happy when we kept getting POVs from them, or that Knox fella. Plus it really pulled me out of the story as I couldn't give a dip about the whole villain thing. Yes, you are doing something bad, now shoo and let me read more about Murph and his friends.

The next guy on my URGHHHHH list was the teacher. Mr. Flash. My word, what a terrible, terrible, giant douche canoe. And this is a teacher... Someone who should be kind, caring, nurturing, not being a total doodoo head and hurting kids with his words. He will say anything and he doesn't care if he hurts anyone with his words. I kept wishing someone would say something about it, tell him to stop, or even fire him, but I guess rotten attitude is OK at that school. Sadly. He would make a perfect villain.

The book is also filled with fun, hilarious illustrations. They made the book even more fun, and the characters were mostly as I would envision them from reading the book.

All in all, really recommended, be warned though, you may just roll off your chair laughing while reading, so prop up a few pillows around your chair just in case. As for me? I can't wait for the second book.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.

Ten Second Synopsis:
After moving to a new town, Murph is accidentally enrolled in a secret school for superheroes after a misunderstanding between his mum and the Principal. Lucky for Murph, he's not the only misfit at the school and when disaster befalls the top brass, Murph and his friends must step into the breach to neutralise the problem.

What a fun read this was!  It felt like a cross between X-Men and Little Britain and was a refreshing change of pace from the books I've been reading lately.   Kid Normal is not the most original story in the world - untalented kid makes good being the order of the day in many middle grade reads - but it is certainly funny, pacey and tongue in cheek, with a likable protagonist, a band of lovable misfits and some truly ridiculous(ly evil) villains.  

Murph is a boy who has moved around a lot and when his mother finally discovers a school in which to enrol him in their new town, it is to Murph's chagrin that the school turns out to be a secret school for the super-powered.  Having said that, not all of the "powers" evident in the attendees could really be classed as "super", unless you count making a screeching noise with your teeth particularly super, so Murph, while the only one not endowed with a superpower, is not the only one struggling to fit in.

If you discount the superpower element, Kid Normal is a tried and true story of a young man who is lost and alone developing some solid, if unusual, friends and working together to overcome their difficulties.  In this case, the difficulty happens to be a giant wasp-human hybrid villain with a plan to take over the picnic world through the means of enslavement-inducing helmets, but apart from that, the story is one with which middle grade readers will be generally familiar.

The humour really is the driving force behind the story, with the book using a narrative style that invites the reader in and addresses them here and there.  The narrative style is fun and fast-paced and there were many moments that had me giggling along at the imagery produced.  Many of the adult characters are larger than life and readers won't be able to help having a laugh at their over the top antics.  We absolutely fell in love with Hilda, the girl whose power is to produce two tiny horses at will.  I mean, what a brilliant power! Who wouldn't want such an adorable skill at their disposal? 

While my copy didn't have any illustrations, the final edition of the book will be illustrated throughout, which will no doubt enhance the reading experience even more.

Kid Normal was a wonderful brain-break that celebrates the outsider, the kid who doesn't fit the mould, in a supremely humorous way.  There is enough action and mystery to keep young readers happy and I highly recommend this to readers who love a rollicking tale that uses super-charged laughs to drive the action-packed outcome.  

[Cordula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greg James and Chris Smith are entertaining radio hosts and their creativity is on full display in this book. It's full of clever jokes (some of which I think the parents will understand more than younger audiences) but most of all lots of heart. The story of Kid Normal and the Super Zeroes is one of friendship and learning to find your inner strength. As much as I enjoyed it, I do think it's slightly on the long side and loses momentum on occasion. The authors go on tangents that are mostly funny but don't really move the story forward. Nonetheless, I'm sure Murph Cooper and the Super Zeroes will embark on many more adventures together and this looks to become a successful book series. Quite a few loose ends at the end of this one already... On a side note, I spotted a typo and two punctuation errors - this kind of stuff is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.

[Dragana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nešto najzabavnije što sam pročitala u poslednje vreme. Jedva čekam da čitam nastavak!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un roman pour la jeunesse assez sympathique c'est dommage qu'il soit épuisé et que la suite ne soit jamais sortie en France...
Il y avait du potentiel même si ce n'est pas exceptionnel j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superhero school - amusing start to a new series

Murph has moved house yet again with his mum, but none of the local schools have a place. Desperate, his mum talks her way into a strange school they come across... it is only when he starts that he realises it's a rather special school... and he doesn't quite fit the mould.

A superhero story with a difference, it has at its heart the idea that its not just those with powers that can make a difference, and also that having a power isn't enough in itself to be a hero.

Murph makes friends at his new school, despite trying not to - his experience of constantly moving house has left him vulnerable to the pain of leaving any he makes. He's a well-formed character, and I hope his friends in future episodes are fleshed-out a little more too. We have some amusing teacher stereotypes as well and a silly but enjoyable villain with a power-hungry henchman/minion. All good starts for a series.

There aren't excessive numbers of superhero stories out there for this age group (David Solomons' series aside) so this could find an eager audience of Marvel/DC fans.

While it looks quite long, it has regular illustrations and is quite a quick read. Suitable for upper primary and lower secondary, it will be popular with ages 9-13.

With thanks to the publisher for the advance copy, sent for review purposes.

[Polarka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poznáte to s tým opakovaným vitpom, ktorý už nie je vtipný? To je prípad tejto knihy. Má totiž všetky tie populárne "vychytávky", ktoré vraj deti majú v knihách radi. Rôzne grafické formy textu (pre spestrenie), text, ktorý núti čitateľa v hlave alebo nahlas čítať rôzne podivnosti (The Book With No Pictures pre osemročných), odkazy na aktuálnu pop kultúru (ktorým ale o 10 rokov nikto nebude rozumieť), otravného rozprávača a "nečakané" absurdné vskuvky v najnapínavejšom momente. Všetky tieto veci sú fajn, ale... Ale možno nie naraz? Možno nie neustále a pri treťom opakovaní už aj dosť trápne? Tak sa totiž zo sviežej knihy s pomerne originálnym a vtipným príbehom stáva 300stranová nuda.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

D. Fiction, children's fiction, grade 5, fantasy, superheroes. Promising at first, but the villains just got too weird.

[Hannah May · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Greg James and Chris Smith's dynamic on Radio 1 I bought this when it was published and added it to my Children's Literature bookcase. However I kept overlooking reading it for thrillers and contemporary books (My niece read it when she came for a sleepover so it wasn't completely neglected!) Then in the second lockdown I was off work recovering from Covid and my nephew's were off school so we had some Zoom calls where I quizzed them on spellings and calculations and at the end of each video call I'd read them a couple of chapters of Kid Normal. But then school's re-opened and the Zoom calls stopped and so did the reading. So it sat back on my shelf for another couple of years until this month when I was scanning Audible for titles I had on my shelves (to try to help with my TBR that has hit 1000 books now 🙈) and clocked Kid Normal, a great opportunity to finish the book I started all that time ago. And it is narrated by Greg and Chris themselves- even better!

It was a fun read, a classic "Superheroes versus supervillians" plot, with some "it's all going wrong" storylines, add in my favourite, "the underdogs come out on top" trope. BUT with a twist; the protagonist has no powers and his friends all have ridiculous powers. I bet Greg and Chris had so much fun brainstorming useless and wacky "powers" to use!

The way these two have written the book and recorded the audiobook makes it silly and fun for the reader/listener and even though as a 38 year old woman I am not the key demographic for this book, from my years teaching children, I am certain they will love the sense of humour in this book series! I can see why it has been such a hit.

[Montse Reyes Orraca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es más un 3.5 para mí, aunque creo que los lectores jóvenes le darán 5 estrellas sin dudar.

En Supernormal tenemos a Murph, un chico que ha tenido que cambiarse de ciudad (una vez más) pero que no consigue entrar en ninguna escuela, hasta que su madre tiene una curiosa plática con el director de un instituto donde al fin podrá entrar... Sin embargo, en su primer día de clases Murph se dará cuenta del gran error que cometieron: no se trata de un simple colegio más, sino de una escuela para superhéroes, donde sus compañeros tienen poderes asombrosos... y no tan asombrosos.

Pronto Murph hará su propio grupo de amigos, descubriendo que algunos superhéroes tienen "mejores poderes" que otros, pero las cosas se complicarán cuando un supervillano aparezca en acción. Murph y sus amigos tendrán que dejar de lado los prejuicios y motes con los que han crecido y descubrir que su verdadero poder radica en ellos mismos.

Si bien es cierto que este libro trata de dejarnos una gran lección (que no necesitamos grandes poderes para ser superhéroes, solo creer en nosotros mismos), los lectores no tienen nada de qué preocuparse: no se trata de una novela aleccionadora y moralizante, ¡todo lo contrario! Sus páginas están repletas de humor, con frases que te harán soltar carcajada tras carcajada, tanto por el lado de los "buenos", como por nuestro villano, que sí que sabe meter la pata...

/Sigue leyendo la reseña en el blog: http://losmillibros.blogspot.mx /

[Книжни Криле · Rating 4 out of 5]

Супергероите! Ах, те са толкова… супер! Не би ли било още по-…ъъъм…супер, ако ходехте заедно с тях на училище?!? Не и ако всички около вас умеят да хвърчат, да се разтягат, да мятат мълнии или да контролират времето, а вие сте най-обикновено хлапе без грам свръхестествени способности. Е, добре дошли в света на „Мърф Нормалния” (изд. „Прозорец”). За Мърф ходенето на училище ще се окаже съвсем не лека работа, но най-важният от всички уроци няма да е на страниците на учебниците. Него Мърф ще го научи от опит, а именно – не суперсилите правят героя и не всеки герой има суперсили. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is weird, but amazing. Hilarious, but with some deep inspiration.

This book was designed to be read aloud, but I read it mostly in my head. Except for the song. I did try and sing the song.

I loved how the authors use outrageous similes and descriptions, egg their audience on, and make use of conventional and non-conventional "norms." In some ways, I was reminded of James Riley's Story Thieves series in which he also breaks the traditional narrating role. James and Smith bring in extra noise with radio-like elements that make the story really leap off the page. A truly enjoyable ride.

I think this is a book suits all ages and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story and can laugh at themselves.

[IFTIKHAR MALIK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it to bits more books should be made like this vocabulary to scenery and description is something I can not describe that is how incredible it is READ NOW SO GOOD 👍🌏🌎🏁🆒🆓🆗🆕🆙 and away🕛🕧🕐🕜🕑time pasts before you know it

[Krystian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool book

[The Jesus Fandom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a big fan of the villain, but the story was really entertaining!

[Tom Mooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

We listened to this on a car journey and it was fairly torturous.

[Antonia Gantolea · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't need superpowers to be a superhero. 🥰

[Jess]

Started off really cute, but got to be too much with the human wasp.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me be straight with you. At the time of writing this, I feel ill, and so I'm not going to be all wishy washy about how I review this stinker of a book.

This book suffers from many things: 1. You can tell the authors tried for a plot, but they really couldn't have done much worse trying to make believable, likable main characters. Now I know that may seem difficult as they all have powers besides our annoying little big head, Kid Normal, but still.

2. The plot. Any movie, particularly a superhero movie, would benefit from a similar plot, but that is when you exclude certain aspects. The villain is cheesy, but then again, you would expect that from a kids book, but also, the plot is extremely overcomplicated. It may not seem it when you start reading, or when you are half way through, or even when you have finished it, but when you look back at it, you will see the truth in my harsh words.

3. The humour. I already mentioned that it was cheesy, but this is one aspect where it does well but simultaneously flops. How our main hero, KN gets into this "super school(?)" is funny, but other moments, such as the headteacher's name, "Mr Souperman" really flops, at least to me.

The end.

(Btw, the other books of this series are a bit better, so it might be worth suffering through this book to get to them, your call.)

Now this is truly the end. Bye bye.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I am a huge fan of all books involving superheros and this did not let me down.

It has a very important message that you don't need a superpower to be a superhero, which is so important for children to learn.

I cannot wait to get back into school so I can get some of my kiddos to read this, they're going to love it.

More in-depth review on my blog
https://laurareads95.wordpress.com/20...

[RachyLou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found out about Kid Normal when I was looking up superheroes and superpowers on the net a couple of months ago (as you do), and was quite excited about the twist on the super-trope so added it to my mental to-be-read list. When I wandered into a bookshop just as they were unboxing the books on publication day, it seemed like fate so, rather than risk the wrath of the book gods, I bought it.

Murph Cooper is accidentally enrolled in Super School (with a capital 'S' - this isn't a comment on the school. Like a school that could be described as super would ever exist, right?!), where he is the only person without a Cape (capability/power). Allowed to stay on to minimise the security risk to the school of their secret curriculum getting out, and despite teasing following the decision to make him help out the school Groundskeeper while the other kids develop their Capes, Murph is happy at school for the first time in ages and manages to make some friends. When the evil - and frankly rather unbalanced - King Nektar attacks his school and friends, Murph knows he must do all he can to help them. But what can Kid Normal do without any special abilities?

Firstly, let me just say that I love this book because it has allowed me to be able to answer one of life's great questions with ease: 'If you could have one super power, what would it be?' Simple. Inspired by Hilda - whose Cape is to summon two tiny horses - my power would be to summon tiny sausage dog puppies. More than two though. Many. That's right, you will quake at the sight of my pack of tiny sausage pups skipping towards you and tripping over their ears. Yeah.

Its ability to help me with hypothetical conundrums by including some unusual Capes (and some of them are genius!) isn't the only good thing about this book though. I love the twist as much as I thought I would; turning the "normal" Murph into the abnormal at Super School is a refreshing change for the superhero trope, one that we can all relate to. The illustrations are brilliant*; Erica Salcedo really brings the book to life and compliments the tone and storyline perfectly.

Just in case the whimsical cover and obviously tongue in cheek blurb (see picture) don't make it clear enough, this book is funny. There are some great words and turns of phrase in there - "pre-lesson faffage" has become a new favourite of mine since reading and is regularly applied to everyday scenarios: pre-dinner faffage, pre-work faffage, pre-bedtime faffage. In fact, I would highly recommend that Kid Normal is read aloud so that the vocab and fast pace can be truly appreciated. Could be parent to child, child to parent, sibling to sibling; whatever the scenario, the regular prompts for sound effects and loudly declaring yourself "King of the Pineapple People" out of the nearest window are sure to make this a bedtime favourite.
In short, a highly entertaining, refreshing read for all the family. You can't say fairer than that for £6.99!

*I've said it before, I'll say it again, WHY AREN'T THERE MORE ILLUSTRATIONS IN YOUNG ADULT AND ADULT BOOKS? I want pictures.

[beth✧･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great funny read!
Really light hearted and funny but not lame.

[Danielle H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having also just listened to Greg James read a bedtime story he wrote to a small 3 year old boy on the BBC iPlayer, it's very fresh in my mind him saying sometimes in stories like these you have to put in something for the parents. And what's so interesting to me is how even though Kid Normal is a chapter book geared towards older readers, probably ones who would be reading this book on their own, is how much it could adhere to that same sentiment. It is referential in a way that I enjoyed as an adult, but also provides enough context I'm sure to be hilarious to kids, even if they've never seen a James Bond film or The Fly. The humor is witty and doesn't just go for easy laughs. It makes you think for them a little.

I cannot wait to put this book in the hands of my students. I'm already trying to decide which piece will be the one I read aloud to them to get them all to fight over who's going to be the next to check it out. This story is silly and funny and made me laugh, but there's a lot going on under the surface that's also so important. Not doubting yourself even if everyone else might, the importance of finding the people who are going to support you in life, and figuring out how you and what you're capable of are going to lead to you being the best version of yourself. I'll be honest, I bought this book because I like listening to Greg James on the radio and figured it was worth giving it a shot. I am beyond happy that I did.

[Claire Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

After visit from Greg James and Chris Smith at my sons school my son was eager to try this book. We sat down each night reading at least a chapter together.
It’s a brilliant first book from the well known DJ’s and just goes to show not all superheroes need to wear capes.
We did find some chapters quite long but it never spoiled the story of the book.
The break in the middle with the poem has had my child singing it for weeks.
My son isn’t much of a fan with the dc heroes and superhero books have never really been an interest but he loves this book. These are superhero’s for our kids to show that everyone is different.
Would recommend to anyone who has primary school children.

[T.J. Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Absolutely hilarious! I read this out load to my 12-year-old before bedtime and we laughed out loud throughout its entirety! I started reading this first to see if my child might like it, but I couldn't put it down. Greg and Chris's humor is not just for kids -- it's creative, clever, and laugh-out-loud hilarious for kids and adults alike!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Btxl · Rating 3 out of 5]

better than expected 😆

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Fletcher Book Club 2017

[Sallyavena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun silly at times read that teaches you don't have to have super powers to be a hero.

[Alenor Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and exciting!

[Alison Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids enjoyed listening to this audiotape on long car journeys.