A Little Bit Super: With Small Powers Come Big Problems

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In these hilarious stories by some of the top authors of middle grade fiction today, each young character is coping with a minor superpowerwhile also discovering their power to change themselves and their community, find their voice, and celebrate what makes them unique.

The kids in these humorous short stories each have a minor superpower theyre learning to live with. One can shape-shiftbut only part of her body, and only on Mondays. Another can always tell whether an avocado is perfectly ripe. One can even hear the thoughts of the animals in the pet store! But what these stories are really about is their young protagonists owning a power that contributes to their individuality, that allows them to find their place in the world, that shows them a potential they might not have imagined.

Because if you really think about it, we all have something special and unique about ourselves that makes us a little bit super. We all have the power to change as an individual, to change our communities for the better, to have a voice and to speak up. These playful, thought-provoking tales from some of todays top middle grade authors prompt readers to consider what their own superpower might be, and how they can use it.

Written by Pablo Cartaya, Nikki Grimes, Leah Henderson, Jarrett Krosoczka, Remy Lai, Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, Daniel Nayeri, Linda Sue Park, Mitali Perkins, Pam Muoz Ryan, Gary D. Schmidt, Brian Young, and Ibi Zoboi; coedited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt.

Reviews

(Just Like That) "An unforgettable story of loss, healing, and finding one's way." -- Booklist (starred review)

(The Magic in Changing Your Stars) "Black excellence, black fantastic, and black family combine for a transformational story of passion and persistence." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

(The Magic in Changing Your Stars) "Henderson weaves magical realism and historical fiction together, offering hard lessons about trying and grit, alongside overwhelming love of family, a lot of laughs, and a "smidgen of magic." -- Booklist (starred review)

Author Bio

Gary D. Schmidt is the bestselling author of The Labors of Hercules Beal; Just Like That; National Book Award finalist Okay for Now; Pay Attention, Carter Jones; Orbiting Jupiter; the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; and the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars. He lives in rural Michigan. Leah Henderson is the author of many critically-acclaimed books for young readers including The Courage of the Little Hummingbird and Together We March. When she is not scribbling down her characters' adventures, she is off in search of her own, exploring new spaces and places around the world. Many of the hopes, struggles, and traditions witnessed find a home in her work. Leah holds an MFA in writing and teaches in Spalding University's graduate writing program. She currently calls Washington, DC, home. Visit her at leahhendersonbooks.com. Pablo Cartaya is an award-winning author, screenwriter, speaker, and occasional actor. He is the Pura Belpr Honor Book Award winner for The Epic Fail for Arturo Zamora; an Audie Finalist for Audiobook of the Year in the Middle Grade Category (for which he narrated); an ALSC notable book of the year for Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish; and the 2020 Schneider Family Book Award Honor winner for his middle grade novel, Each Tiny Spark. His newest title, The Last Beekeeper, contemplates a future where bees are central to a re-building world. His novels focus on the themes of family, community, culture, and the environment. He lives in the hyphens between his Cuban and American identities and with his familia in Miami. Visit him at www.pablocartaya.com Nikki Grimes began penning poetry at the age of six. Her many award-winning titles include the picture books Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman, which won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and Meet Danitra Brown, which won a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. Coretta Scott King Author Honors went to her novels The Road to Paris, Jazmin's Notebook, and Dark Sons, and her novel Bronx Masquerade won the Coretta Scott King Author Award. In 2017, Nikki Grimes was honored by the American Library Association with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in recognition of her substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. She lives in Corona, California. Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author and/or illustrator of over thirty books for young readers. He can be heard weekly on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live and his TED Talks have accumulated nearly two million views online. His graphic novel memoir for teens, Hey, Kiddo, is a National Book Award nominee. Learn more at StudioJJK.com or follow @StudioJJK. Kyle Lukoff is the author of the Stonewall Award-winning When Aidan Became a Brother, the middle grade novel Too Bright to See, and many other books for young readers. A former school librarian, he lives and writes in Brooklyn. Linda Sue Park, recipient of the Newbery Medal for A Single Shard, is the bestselling author of many books for young readers, including picture books, poetry, and historical and contemporary fiction. Born in Illinois, Ms. Park has also lived in California, England, and Ireland. She and her husband, a journalist, now live in Rochester, New York, and have two grown children. Learn more at www.lindasuepark.com. Author and filmmaker Brian Young is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. He grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. Brian earned his BA in Film Studies at Yale University and his MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University. Brian currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. Ibi Zoboi holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. She is also the author of Pride and My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, a New York Times bestseller. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.ibizoboi.net.