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Rise of the Sidekicks
An exciting middle-grade superhero adventure for readers who love action, suspense, and heroic teamwork.
Twelve-year-old Ethan Parker and his friends attend Justice Academy, a middle school just for kids with superpowers. The entire school is buzzing about the upcoming Sidekick Tryouts, a brand-new competition where the Nexus Guardians—the city’s elite team of crime-fighting superheroes—will choose their newest batch of recruits.
But a week before the tryouts begin, mysterious circumstances lure the famed Guardians out of the city and a new threat emerges. A villainous man calling himself the Hero Smasher declares war on all supers, taking Nexus City hostage with his mind-control abilities and an army of mechanical minions.
With the Guardians out of the picture and time quickly running out, it’s up to a group of super-powered sixth graders to rise up and find the courage within to take on a super villain before their city is lost forever.
Perfect for:
• Kids ages 9–12 who love middle-grade superhero adventures
• Readers who enjoy action-packed stories with teamwork and courage
• Fans of imaginative, high-stakes fantasy and adventure
Encourages bravery, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
Ideal for independent readers and middle-grade book clubs.
Twelve-year-old Ethan Parker and his friends attend Justice Academy, a middle school just for kids with superpowers. The entire school is buzzing about the upcoming Sidekick Tryouts, a brand-new competition where the Nexus Guardians—the city’s elite team of crime-fighting superheroes—will choose their newest batch of recruits.
But a week before the tryouts begin, mysterious circumstances lure the famed Guardians out of the city and a new threat emerges. A villainous man calling himself the Hero Smasher declares war on all supers, taking Nexus City hostage with his mind-control abilities and an army of mechanical minions.
With the Guardians out of the picture and time quickly running out, it’s up to a group of super-powered sixth graders to rise up and find the courage within to take on a super villain before their city is lost forever.
Perfect for:
• Kids ages 9–12 who love middle-grade superhero adventures
• Readers who enjoy action-packed stories with teamwork and courage
• Fans of imaginative, high-stakes fantasy and adventure
Encourages bravery, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
Ideal for independent readers and middle-grade book clubs.
- GenresMiddle Grade
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 9, 2021
About the author
Charity Tober
7 books50 followersCharity Tober loves reading and writing stories about fantasy, magic, and adventure.
Her published books include the Roly-Poly Monster picture book series, the Alice & Friends in Wonderland chapter book series, and three middle grade novels, Rise of the Sidekicks, The Girl of Magic and Dreams, and The Robot Games. She lives in sunny Florida with her family and is currently working on more books for kids.
You can visit her online at
www.charitytober.com
Her published books include the Roly-Poly Monster picture book series, the Alice & Friends in Wonderland chapter book series, and three middle grade novels, Rise of the Sidekicks, The Girl of Magic and Dreams, and The Robot Games. She lives in sunny Florida with her family and is currently working on more books for kids.
You can visit her online at
www.charitytober.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 13, 2023
The Rise of the Sidekicks by Charity Tober is a criminally underread middle grade novel following pre-teen kids with superpowers trying to become the next big sidekicks!
Ethan Parker is your average kid.... in a town with superpowers, of course. He's twelve years old, his older brother is one of the cool superheroes protecting the city, he's got a super power of his own he's working on mastering, and he goes to a school to do just that! Him and his friends are learning all that they can so they can develop those powers and then try out to be a side kick to one of the incredible heroes in the city! But, as most stories go, it doesn't stay all average day for long. A villainous man declares war on the city and locks the Guardians (superheroes) of the cities out... and all that's left are middle grade wannabe sidekicks... Never underestimate the power of a spiteful middle grader!
I absolutely LOVED this book! I was hooked and binging this story and even managed to read it twice. I felt like my younger self would have loved this and I Know many young kiddos (my neighbours) who would love a story like this. I can even see them playing pretend outside as if they were the characters of this book!
Relatable kids having very relatable problems (wanting to do better in school, wanting to be as cool as an older sibling, wanting to have friends, etc.), and showing that you should never underestimate a kid? Absolutely flawless!
I truly hope there are more stories coming along that feature Ethan and his friends. I really liked how smart and fun Ethan and his friends are. I can see many more readers loving this story. Now we just need to get it in the hands of those readers!
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free from the author, Charity Tober, in exchange for an honest review.
Ethan Parker is your average kid.... in a town with superpowers, of course. He's twelve years old, his older brother is one of the cool superheroes protecting the city, he's got a super power of his own he's working on mastering, and he goes to a school to do just that! Him and his friends are learning all that they can so they can develop those powers and then try out to be a side kick to one of the incredible heroes in the city! But, as most stories go, it doesn't stay all average day for long. A villainous man declares war on the city and locks the Guardians (superheroes) of the cities out... and all that's left are middle grade wannabe sidekicks... Never underestimate the power of a spiteful middle grader!
I absolutely LOVED this book! I was hooked and binging this story and even managed to read it twice. I felt like my younger self would have loved this and I Know many young kiddos (my neighbours) who would love a story like this. I can even see them playing pretend outside as if they were the characters of this book!
Relatable kids having very relatable problems (wanting to do better in school, wanting to be as cool as an older sibling, wanting to have friends, etc.), and showing that you should never underestimate a kid? Absolutely flawless!
I truly hope there are more stories coming along that feature Ethan and his friends. I really liked how smart and fun Ethan and his friends are. I can see many more readers loving this story. Now we just need to get it in the hands of those readers!
Five out of five stars.
I received this book for free from the author, Charity Tober, in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2022
The story is told in the first person by 12-year-old Ethan. Ethan’s older brother, Wyatt, is already a member of the Guardians (the local superheroes), to the great joy of their parents. Ethan, a whiz with technology, is determined to prove himself to be just as good as, if not better than, his brother. The problem is nobody rates Ethan’s super power very highly, but when Nexus City is in trouble, it’s Ethan and his friends’ chance to shine.
I liked the kids. There’s a good camaraderie between all the friends, and I liked how they joined forces with class bullies against the enemy. In general, the kids powers are standard superhero fare: super-strength, master of illusion, ability to liquify etc. Gemma’s crazy colourful clothes and hero worship for Golden Speedster made her my favourite character, although I would also have liked to have seen more of shy Alexander (master of illusions) and quiet Willow (who can control plants). Gemma’s superpower was manipulating fabric, and she regularly extended her sleeves to trip or tie up opponents, which gets put to good use in this story.
Ethan, determined to save his family, pulls the group together to take on the supervillain, who is also a technical genius and mind controller. Unfortunately I struggled to get a handle on Ethan’s superpower. It’s described as the ability ‘to take anything and turn it into some kind of invention.’ For this to be a superpower in a world where kids can turn into animals, makes themselves invisible, or conjure illusions so good they fool everyone, I expected Ethan to instantly understand how technology worked so he could disable things immediately, and that his inventions would be successful on the first attempt. Instead it was a case of trial and error, with no detail given other than fiddling with buttons when dealing with the villain’s contraptions or trying to use ‘kill code’ on computers. Ultimately this made for a disappointing finale, as I expected both Ethan and the villain to be more along the lines of Royal Pain (Sky High) or Syndrome (the Incredibles), or even more advanced (given how technology has advanced even since those movies), rather than resorting to unplugging desktop computers.
Perhaps if it had been one of the minor characters with this ability, it would not have mattered, but as it’s the strength of both the hero and the villain, I needed the superpower to have some substance to it.
Overall the writing is smooth, the pacing is good, the characters are likeable, the tone is light, so it’s a pity the ending is such a disappointment.
I liked the kids. There’s a good camaraderie between all the friends, and I liked how they joined forces with class bullies against the enemy. In general, the kids powers are standard superhero fare: super-strength, master of illusion, ability to liquify etc. Gemma’s crazy colourful clothes and hero worship for Golden Speedster made her my favourite character, although I would also have liked to have seen more of shy Alexander (master of illusions) and quiet Willow (who can control plants). Gemma’s superpower was manipulating fabric, and she regularly extended her sleeves to trip or tie up opponents, which gets put to good use in this story.
Ethan, determined to save his family, pulls the group together to take on the supervillain, who is also a technical genius and mind controller. Unfortunately I struggled to get a handle on Ethan’s superpower. It’s described as the ability ‘to take anything and turn it into some kind of invention.’ For this to be a superpower in a world where kids can turn into animals, makes themselves invisible, or conjure illusions so good they fool everyone, I expected Ethan to instantly understand how technology worked so he could disable things immediately, and that his inventions would be successful on the first attempt. Instead it was a case of trial and error, with no detail given other than fiddling with buttons when dealing with the villain’s contraptions or trying to use ‘kill code’ on computers. Ultimately this made for a disappointing finale, as I expected both Ethan and the villain to be more along the lines of Royal Pain (Sky High) or Syndrome (the Incredibles), or even more advanced (given how technology has advanced even since those movies), rather than resorting to unplugging desktop computers.
Perhaps if it had been one of the minor characters with this ability, it would not have mattered, but as it’s the strength of both the hero and the villain, I needed the superpower to have some substance to it.
Overall the writing is smooth, the pacing is good, the characters are likeable, the tone is light, so it’s a pity the ending is such a disappointment.
August 13, 2023
Rise of the Sidekicks is a creative and exciting novel that had me glued to the pages from the start. The beginning, by the way, is a clever intro, and I won’t spoil why that is.
Charity Tober created several individualistic characters – middle schoolers, no less – who have aspirations to one day be well-known, city-saving superheroes. Nexus City, where they live, is superhero central, the perfect locale to attain such dreams. In a Harry Potter-esque way, the children chase their dreams by attending a local school that specializes in churning out “supers,” the best of whom are highly admired citywide.
Rather than write about the plot of the book, which was great, I’d rather touch on the themes, which were every bit as admirable. One of the things I got out of Sidekicks is that everyone has his or her own “superpower,” and we don’t need to flaunt them in super-flashy ways. That’s an important point these days, when it seems like everyone wants to be a star. On the flip side, some folks are born to live their lives that way.
Tober also pushes the ideas of teamwork and positivity and sometimes having to be brave despite the danger that lurks. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of the good versus evil happening right now in the world as the war in Europe drags on.
On a lighter note, the best aspect of Sidekicks to me was Tober’s creativity in coming up with people’s superpowers. Flying and slinging webs are lame compared to some of what she concocted, which includes a tech-savvy narrator, a girl with stretchy arms, a cloth-slinging diva, and kids who can turn invisible, turn into water, and mix into shadows. Very cool!
I was laughing out loud at Donut Dude and especially Boring Man, who should get a book of his own. My biggest disappointment was not getting to see Boring Man in “action.” The part where Donut Dude relates to the kids that Boring Man was boring evil robots so badly they started jumping out of a building was hilarious.
I question whether kids in grade school would have the knowledge and maturity to pull off what they did in Tober’s story; perhaps they should have been in high school. Additionally, while I am a fan of first-person-narrated books, I wonder if third-person narration would have been better in Sidekicks so that readers could have learned of the action taking place in a more detailed way when the kids separated. The book also has a slew of errors, but they didn’t take away from the story’s vibrancy and stimulating plot. Nice work by the rising author of the Roly-Poly books!
Charity Tober created several individualistic characters – middle schoolers, no less – who have aspirations to one day be well-known, city-saving superheroes. Nexus City, where they live, is superhero central, the perfect locale to attain such dreams. In a Harry Potter-esque way, the children chase their dreams by attending a local school that specializes in churning out “supers,” the best of whom are highly admired citywide.
Rather than write about the plot of the book, which was great, I’d rather touch on the themes, which were every bit as admirable. One of the things I got out of Sidekicks is that everyone has his or her own “superpower,” and we don’t need to flaunt them in super-flashy ways. That’s an important point these days, when it seems like everyone wants to be a star. On the flip side, some folks are born to live their lives that way.
Tober also pushes the ideas of teamwork and positivity and sometimes having to be brave despite the danger that lurks. While reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of the good versus evil happening right now in the world as the war in Europe drags on.
On a lighter note, the best aspect of Sidekicks to me was Tober’s creativity in coming up with people’s superpowers. Flying and slinging webs are lame compared to some of what she concocted, which includes a tech-savvy narrator, a girl with stretchy arms, a cloth-slinging diva, and kids who can turn invisible, turn into water, and mix into shadows. Very cool!
I was laughing out loud at Donut Dude and especially Boring Man, who should get a book of his own. My biggest disappointment was not getting to see Boring Man in “action.” The part where Donut Dude relates to the kids that Boring Man was boring evil robots so badly they started jumping out of a building was hilarious.
I question whether kids in grade school would have the knowledge and maturity to pull off what they did in Tober’s story; perhaps they should have been in high school. Additionally, while I am a fan of first-person-narrated books, I wonder if third-person narration would have been better in Sidekicks so that readers could have learned of the action taking place in a more detailed way when the kids separated. The book also has a slew of errors, but they didn’t take away from the story’s vibrancy and stimulating plot. Nice work by the rising author of the Roly-Poly books!
July 15, 2021
While a very familiar concept of those with powers banding together to save the city and mind-controlled robots, Tober weaved an interesting plot of the Sidekick auditions and the kids desperate to prove themselves to the Guardians. Irony is, they aren't here to see it. The author also did a great job of character development, overcoming self-doubt and fear. Rise of the Sidekicks is the type of book that can be read over and over again, even knowing the ending. For the author's first middle grade book, it is impressive.
A central theme was also what defines a superhero. Ethan doesn't have flashy powers, and battled the belief that he doesn't have "real" superpowers. His cleverness, tech-savvy skills, and leadership abilities are outstanding. Ethan did remind me of Richard Greyson (Robin), from the Teen Titans, and most others reminded me of those featured in The Arrowverse. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it made the book a bit nostalgic and more enjoyable.
The only complaint that I have is the lack of origin for their powers. Where did these powers come from? Why these families? The Hero Smasher's background story of why he came to hate the Guardians was strongly written, and it made perfect sense. His origin story was great, but I am just missing the piece of people had these powers to begin with. But for middle grade readers, they may not care about that part.
A central theme was also what defines a superhero. Ethan doesn't have flashy powers, and battled the belief that he doesn't have "real" superpowers. His cleverness, tech-savvy skills, and leadership abilities are outstanding. Ethan did remind me of Richard Greyson (Robin), from the Teen Titans, and most others reminded me of those featured in The Arrowverse. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it made the book a bit nostalgic and more enjoyable.
The only complaint that I have is the lack of origin for their powers. Where did these powers come from? Why these families? The Hero Smasher's background story of why he came to hate the Guardians was strongly written, and it made perfect sense. His origin story was great, but I am just missing the piece of people had these powers to begin with. But for middle grade readers, they may not care about that part.
February 16, 2022
This book was tons of fun! It's been awhile since I've enjoyed middle grade, but I've always been a sucker for superhero stories, and Rise of the Sidekicks did not disappoint. The story definitely gave me some Sky High flashbacks, but the stakes were much higher, and the kids' super powers were original, flashy, and fun. I really loved the fact that Ethan's mind powers centered around tech. It seemed like a logical power in the modern era, and that combined with his leadership and analytic skills made for a compelling protagonist. His band of supers friends were all enjoyable and Tober imbued them (and the super villain) with unique personalities that drove the story. Overall, Tober has a very smooth writing style and she maintained great pacing. This really is a gem of a middle grade that could make a fantastic movie someday. Great read!
August 19, 2021
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways and the publisher for this book. This did not affect my review at all.
This was a classic superhero novel that was written and developed very well. It was a fun and quick read that would be perfect for any middle grade Marvel or DC fan. The only thing that I wished this book could have had was more backstory for the city and an origin story for the superpowers, which the author did very well for the villain. Overall, a great story that would be perfect for a superhero fan!
This was a classic superhero novel that was written and developed very well. It was a fun and quick read that would be perfect for any middle grade Marvel or DC fan. The only thing that I wished this book could have had was more backstory for the city and an origin story for the superpowers, which the author did very well for the villain. Overall, a great story that would be perfect for a superhero fan!
June 18, 2021
This would be a great read for a middle school student. When an evil villain takes over the town, the young, super-powered trainees attempt to fight him. There’s lots of action in this book.
Thank you Goodreads giveaway for this ebook.
Thank you Goodreads giveaway for this ebook.
October 8, 2021
Kids can bring change
The guardians are tricked out of the city and the kids are left to save the day! Charity Tober lets us see that children, when working together, can save the day! I loved this book.
The guardians are tricked out of the city and the kids are left to save the day! Charity Tober lets us see that children, when working together, can save the day! I loved this book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews