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Super Problems
Before Monster Problems, there is Super Problems, the story of how Blue Hood first learned of the magic pen. Scott draws the comic book adventures of himself, Blue Hood, and their friends as the Alpaca Defense Squad fighting their archenemy the evil Stinky Sock. No one knows Scott’s using a magic pen and everything he draws becomes real. The middle schoolers and an alpaca named Bruce are thrown into a real-life superhero adventure! At first, they think it’s great. They’re living their superhero fantasy! What more could superhero fans want? But saving the day is not as easy as it looks! The Stinky Sock is a clever nemesis, and Bruce the alpaca is obnoxious and demanding. The Alpaca Defense Squad must unite as a team, master their powers, put up with Bruce, and solve their super problem…before the Stinky Sock rules the world!
- GenresFiction
233 pages, Paperback
Published December 17, 2020
2 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Jason R. Lady
4 books55 followersJason is an army brat who grew up moving around a total of seven times on military bases from Germany to Fort Knox, Kentucky. At each new school, Jason would make friends by starring his classmates in his own superhero stories. In his free time, Jason can be found listening to 1980’s music, working on visiting all the MLB baseball stadiums, and following the Cleveland Guardians. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He lives with his wife in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason's books have been accepted to the Ohioana Library Association Book Festival, the Kentucky Book Festival, and the Heartland Book Festival. His second novel Super Problems was a Maxy Awards finalist and is certified IndieReader Approved.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 3, 2021
‘Super Problems’ is a fiction book aimed to middle grade readers and for anyone who enjoys a fun story.
The story is packed with adventure and funny characters; the protagonists are young students who become superheroes with their own personalized superpowers. There is also Bruce, an obnoxious Alpaca which funnily enough was my favourite character as I found its personality hilarious. The Villain of the story is the ‘Stinky Sock’ and his sinister sock army. When i started the book I assumed this was a character called Stinky Sock but turned out to be an actual talking evil sock.
This is a book which will entertain young readers with a new superhero adventure. The story can be relatable to children as they dream of becoming superheroes and protecting someone or something. Friendship is a key theme in the story and how friends have to work together to achieve their goals.
It’s a shame that books published by smaller publishers and don’t come from previously best selling authors don’t get much recognition. I’m not a fan of superhero things usually and the premise of a talking alpaca and a stinky sock didn’t really fill me with enthusiasm for this book. Despite this I’m really glad that I was given the opportunity to review it and really enjoyed the story and characters and thought it was very imaginative. The superpowers and devices the hero’s use were very interesting and will appeal to children a lot.
Young readers will be able to use their imagination and be transported to a cool story where anything is possible.
The story is packed with adventure and funny characters; the protagonists are young students who become superheroes with their own personalized superpowers. There is also Bruce, an obnoxious Alpaca which funnily enough was my favourite character as I found its personality hilarious. The Villain of the story is the ‘Stinky Sock’ and his sinister sock army. When i started the book I assumed this was a character called Stinky Sock but turned out to be an actual talking evil sock.
This is a book which will entertain young readers with a new superhero adventure. The story can be relatable to children as they dream of becoming superheroes and protecting someone or something. Friendship is a key theme in the story and how friends have to work together to achieve their goals.
It’s a shame that books published by smaller publishers and don’t come from previously best selling authors don’t get much recognition. I’m not a fan of superhero things usually and the premise of a talking alpaca and a stinky sock didn’t really fill me with enthusiasm for this book. Despite this I’m really glad that I was given the opportunity to review it and really enjoyed the story and characters and thought it was very imaginative. The superpowers and devices the hero’s use were very interesting and will appeal to children a lot.
Young readers will be able to use their imagination and be transported to a cool story where anything is possible.
June 4, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book – a great journey from the sublime to the ridiculous. It contains strong characters which young readers will relate to and a plot that sends the mind spinning. Quite a caper!
March 30, 2021
This is one for all those superhero lovin kids out there!! I had the best time reading it with my students, we all loved it. The kids were about 9 or 10 years old, and they really got into it. Especially some of the boys who are Marvel fans. It’s a chapter book slightly more than 200 pages long.
Narrated by a girl... telling us about the crazy events that happened to her and her friends. New to the she is struggling to find her place in middle school. Also she loves to make comic books but is having writers block. One night a bird comes to her window and leaves her a pen. Some of her classmates happen to be huge comic book fans too and she uses the pen to create a comic with superheroes based on them all.
That’s when things turn weird... The pen is magic and her comic book creations become reality, including the powers she gave to everyone. Realizing the events in her comic book are happening, they realize they have to face off against the supervillain who turns out to be a very smelly talking sock with an army of smelly socks backing him up🤣 they are determined to steal the local Alpaca that can now talk and is quite sassy. It’s not long before the alpaca and one of them are in big trouble. With some quick thinking and a few unlikely allies the superheroes save the day in a dramatic showdown.
I found this to be extremely entertaining and very well written. It’s fast paced with classic superhero vs supervillain moments and lots of humor. This one gets two thumbs WAY from me (and my class) highly recommend it as a read aloud, adults will definitely enjoy it as much as the children. My best advice is make sure the kids are already at that age where they know some of the classic superheroes and they’ll totally get it and be begging for more!
Narrated by a girl... telling us about the crazy events that happened to her and her friends. New to the she is struggling to find her place in middle school. Also she loves to make comic books but is having writers block. One night a bird comes to her window and leaves her a pen. Some of her classmates happen to be huge comic book fans too and she uses the pen to create a comic with superheroes based on them all.
That’s when things turn weird... The pen is magic and her comic book creations become reality, including the powers she gave to everyone. Realizing the events in her comic book are happening, they realize they have to face off against the supervillain who turns out to be a very smelly talking sock with an army of smelly socks backing him up🤣 they are determined to steal the local Alpaca that can now talk and is quite sassy. It’s not long before the alpaca and one of them are in big trouble. With some quick thinking and a few unlikely allies the superheroes save the day in a dramatic showdown.
I found this to be extremely entertaining and very well written. It’s fast paced with classic superhero vs supervillain moments and lots of humor. This one gets two thumbs WAY from me (and my class) highly recommend it as a read aloud, adults will definitely enjoy it as much as the children. My best advice is make sure the kids are already at that age where they know some of the classic superheroes and they’ll totally get it and be begging for more!
January 20, 2021
Scott is sitting on the curb as he has finished unpacking his boxes and arranging his bedroom. He starts to scold his pencil and hits the pad of paper so hard with his pencil, it bounced and fell into the storm drain. Two guys Barry an Joel meet Scott. They find out that they are in going to be in the same grade at school. Barry picks up Scott’s pad of paper and flips the pages. He says o Scott you’re good. Do you draw comics? When he sees them, he gets excited and Joel goes to look at them too. The guys become excited as they love comic books. When they find Scott has writer’s block, they say hat they will help him overcome it. Scott gets a visitor in his bedroom window that leaves him a old pen. He likes it but wonders why the pen was left. He takes it with him to school. In art class at school with Barry and Joel present, he starts drawing them as superheroes including a gal name Prudence as well as the school’s alpaca named Bruce for them to keep safe. The art teacher tells him that the pen will make the drawings real. How does he know? What will happen? Scott draws Joel’s smelly sock as the arch enemy. Is that a smart thing to do?
The author has written a funny story that made me laugh. It’s written for middle grade school kids. I enjoyed the unexpected experiences the guys had keeping Bruce safe. It’s fun to read.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author has written a funny story that made me laugh. It’s written for middle grade school kids. I enjoyed the unexpected experiences the guys had keeping Bruce safe. It’s fun to read.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
March 6, 2021
Have you ever imagined what would happen if you got a magic pen? A pen with which if you drew something, it would become real?
Super Problems is a highly engaging superhero book.
Scott, Barry, Joel, and Prudence very unprecedently turn from four very typical sixth-graders into four very normal superheroes complete with unique superpowers…all because Scott had drawn them as comic book superheroes, not knowing that he was using a magic pen. But it turns out that a super-villain also comes real as Scott had drawn the Stinky Sock as well!
Join Zapster, Hi-Tech, Snack-Man, and Blue Hood as they defend their demanding but magical alpaca Bruce and crusade against the Stinky Sock.
This book’s themes are friendship and never giving up. These are, coincidentally, my favorite themes in any book.
There aren’t any illustrations in this book. Pretty cool; the narrator of the story herself likes writing stories without drawings!
I haven't read many superhero books, so I can't compare it to any other books.
I recommend this as a read-aloud or personal reader to superhero-loving kids aged 7+ as the plot might be a little complex for younger children.
I would love to read more by the author, Jason R. Lady. 😊
Super Problems is a highly engaging superhero book.
Scott, Barry, Joel, and Prudence very unprecedently turn from four very typical sixth-graders into four very normal superheroes complete with unique superpowers…all because Scott had drawn them as comic book superheroes, not knowing that he was using a magic pen. But it turns out that a super-villain also comes real as Scott had drawn the Stinky Sock as well!
Join Zapster, Hi-Tech, Snack-Man, and Blue Hood as they defend their demanding but magical alpaca Bruce and crusade against the Stinky Sock.
This book’s themes are friendship and never giving up. These are, coincidentally, my favorite themes in any book.
There aren’t any illustrations in this book. Pretty cool; the narrator of the story herself likes writing stories without drawings!
I haven't read many superhero books, so I can't compare it to any other books.
I recommend this as a read-aloud or personal reader to superhero-loving kids aged 7+ as the plot might be a little complex for younger children.
I would love to read more by the author, Jason R. Lady. 😊
January 6, 2021
I loved this book! I had enjoyed the predecessor to this book-Monster Problems (for which this book is a prequel) last year and Super Problems was even better!
This story about a middle-schooler moving to a new school and adjusting to new friends is relatable for a lot of kids (including myself) but when you mix in a magic pen that makes drawings come to life-turning the kid and all his new friends into superheros- you've got a fun adventure.
Super Problems was an instant hit for me. I felt like all of the characters at the center of the story could have easily been my friends in middle school and I enjoyed hanging out with them every night as I read this story to my son. The spoiled alpaca that the superhero kids are trying to save it a fun addition and all of the pop culture references really brought this story to life. Each chapter is jam-packed with plot and the writing is high quality. I am reading this as a 31 year old, and I enjoyed this just as much as any child would. There is no expiration date on a story this fun!
This story about a middle-schooler moving to a new school and adjusting to new friends is relatable for a lot of kids (including myself) but when you mix in a magic pen that makes drawings come to life-turning the kid and all his new friends into superheros- you've got a fun adventure.
Super Problems was an instant hit for me. I felt like all of the characters at the center of the story could have easily been my friends in middle school and I enjoyed hanging out with them every night as I read this story to my son. The spoiled alpaca that the superhero kids are trying to save it a fun addition and all of the pop culture references really brought this story to life. Each chapter is jam-packed with plot and the writing is high quality. I am reading this as a 31 year old, and I enjoyed this just as much as any child would. There is no expiration date on a story this fun!
June 16, 2021
This was such an awesome book!
It's a story that is built around a comic that Scott wrote and the story is told by Prudence. It's about 4 kids who write a comic and it ends up coming true. Each kid has their own super powers and they are all different.
Scott has a passion for drawing and creating comics. He created a whole bunch with his friends from his old school. When he moved over the summer he got writers block and couldn't figure out where to start to create comics again. Scott has lightening powers.
Barry who ends up with high tech powers and Joel who gets the power to summon food befriend Scott in his time of need. Together the 3 become good friends. Prudence meets up with the group on the first day of school and she gains the ability to be invisible or intangible. Together they need to save Bruce the talking Alpaca from the Sticky Sock.
This is a really fun read. There is twists and turns you wouldn't expect to happen. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys superhero book.
It's a story that is built around a comic that Scott wrote and the story is told by Prudence. It's about 4 kids who write a comic and it ends up coming true. Each kid has their own super powers and they are all different.
Scott has a passion for drawing and creating comics. He created a whole bunch with his friends from his old school. When he moved over the summer he got writers block and couldn't figure out where to start to create comics again. Scott has lightening powers.
Barry who ends up with high tech powers and Joel who gets the power to summon food befriend Scott in his time of need. Together the 3 become good friends. Prudence meets up with the group on the first day of school and she gains the ability to be invisible or intangible. Together they need to save Bruce the talking Alpaca from the Sticky Sock.
This is a really fun read. There is twists and turns you wouldn't expect to happen. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys superhero book.
February 20, 2021
A kid with art talent moves into a new town – he doesn’t know anyone, misses his old friends, just doesn’t fit in and worse yet he can’t draw comic characters anymore! Drastic changes happen in his Art Class after a crow had delivered a gold pen to him. A couple of his neighbor kids, in the same class, get together to cheer him up and have him draw a comic character picture turning them all into superheroes. What happens when a stinky sock all become real and the kids now superheroes have to fight him and all of their mismatched socks is scary. “The happiness of a comic book creator who, for just a few hours, got to be in a real-life superhero adventure.” Is a cute almost unbelievable story!
February 21, 2021
Last year I read this author's book, 'Monster Problems', and found it a really good read for the early reader. This current book gives the background story of the magic pen and is just as much fun as the other. It's full of great characters (both human and non-human), is action packed and just races along. A nice way to get the young child to enjoy reading.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
July 1, 2021
Great book for middle schoolers. If I wasn't retired, I would read-aloud the 1st chapter with students, knowing they would be picking it to read for themselves. The story had several themes: Finding real friends, learning to accept that things may change, but you can still find joy in new things and people.
August 11, 2023
I enjoyed book 2 in the Magic Pen Adventure series even more than the first. All the characters were fun (as both their human and their superhero selves), and Bruce the talking alpaca was absolutely delightful. (My daughter called me out if I lost track of whose dialogue I was reading and forgot to do the Bruce voice.) This is a great middle grade series that is fun for adults as well.
March 1, 2021
Nice book
March 29, 2021
Review held pending Maxy Awards.
December 29, 2020
This is a great prequel to the first book. Perfect for middle school kids.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews