MIDDLE GRADE SPECULATIVE (Fantasy) FICTION : Pizazz, It's Not Easy Being Super... by Sophy Henn
ABOUT THE BOOK
Most people think superhero work is awesome and fulfilling. Pizazz knows better. Whenever she’s in the middle of a movie or having fun with her friends, she has to dash off the save the world. And she’s always in the same outfit, including an embarrassing glittery cape, and the wedgies are unreal. Plus, being the good guy all the time is so not easy. Superheroes have bad days like everybody else, but Pizazz always has to be cheerful and noble and brave. More than anything, she just wants to be normal.
REVIEW
There are a lot of downsides to being a superhero, according to narrator, Pizazz. As the daughter of superheroes and the sister of a powerful superhero, Pizazz is also a superhero. But as she describes, it's exhausting being a superhero and there really aren't a ton of benefits, except maybe being able to fly. Her family has recently moved to a new town and she doesn't have any friends, she misses the friends she left behind, and she's frustrated with the constant world saving that's required of her while she is also still expected to go to school and do her homework. Her efforts to show her unhappiness tend to backfire. And worst of all, her major superpower is embarrassing not cool. Her efforts to get involved in school when she is made the eco monitor by her teacher result in disaster and only get her in more trouble. It's only when she realizes that some problems don't require superpowers to solve that she finds a way to make friends and make a difference without being a superhero. But then again, maybe her embarrassing superpower can be useful after all.
The numerous black and white illustrations make this book feel a lot like a graphic novel. The illustrations feel a bit over the top, exactly what you would expect for a superhero story. The illustrations vary from full page spreads to small corner pictures to comic book type spreads. For young readers who've dreamed of being a superhero will find themselves giggling at the challenges that being a superhero brings (wearing a cape with her name that you hate highlighted on the back anyone?). Annoying little sisters, clueless parents, and ridiculous villains make this a rather funny book. Despite the focus on superpowers and being a superhero, there is much that young readers will be able to relate to such as leaving friends behind, finding a way to belong, making new friends, solving problems in an appropriate way. All these themes come into play in this rather light and funny story that kids are bound to enjoy.
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