Project Superhero

by Paul Zehr, Kris Pearn (Illustrator)

Overview

Join 13-year-old Jessie as she keeps a diary of her class’s yearlong research project on superheroes, which culminates in the Superhero Slam: a head-to-head debate battle! It’s shy, comics-obsessed Jessie’s dream come true . . . and worst nightmare. She decides to champion Batgirl, a regular person (albeit with major talent and training under her utility belt), and soon Jessie wonders what it would take to be Batgirl. Will she prove to her best friends, Cade and Audrey, that she’s more than a sidekick? Can she take down archenemy Dylan at the Slam?

Combining science facts, lively illustrations, and comic-book trivia with actual correspondence from superhumans such as NYPD Sergeant Mike Bruen, Olympian Clara Hughes, and Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, Project Superhero is a celebration of the heroes among us and of one girl’s super-secret identity: herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770411807
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

E. Paul Zehr, a professor at the University of Victoria, is the author of Becoming Batman (2008) and Inventing Iron Man (2011) and he writes for Psychology Today, Scientific American, and Discover. He lives in Victoria, BC. Kris Pearn, veteran animator from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Arthur Christmas, and Surf's Up, co-directed 2013’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.

Editorial Reviews

Readers should readily respond to Jessie’s mission of self-improvement.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Jessi is an engaging protagonist, and learning more about girls and women in comics is a welcome contribution to the genre.” — School Library Journal

“Pearn’s commercial comics illustration style, with wide-eyed characters and plenty of motion, is perfectly suited to the subject matter, which … will appeal to hardcore superhero fans normally leery of any reading material that isn’t segmented into panels.” — Quill & Quire

“The interviews are compelling … the science is appealing … and the multiple approaches give this multiple audiences. Comic book fans, science geeks, history buffs, and fans of realistic fiction may all find a piece of this to enjoy, and Jessie’s cheerful narration is enjoyable throughout.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“We need positive influences for girls. Super proud to be a part of Project Superhero, providing exactly this.” — Olympian Clara Hughes

“It contains a ‘feel good’ message that reinforces the reality that superheroes are for everyone.” — Newsorama.com

“Project Superhero is a faux diary fiction/non-fiction hybrid about comic book superheroes, but without any comics … Intrigued? You should be … The illustrations throughout are wonderful and full of life and fun.” — Canadian Children's Book News

From the Publisher

09/01/2014
Gr 4–7—Jessi is excited to start eighth grade and when she discovers that her class will engage in a yearlong project centered on superheroes, her excitement only multiples. What follows is her diary of learning about superheroes and her own personal growth. Jessi decides that she will champion Batgirl in her class project and learn all about superhero characteristics like courage, perseverance, and determination. This leads her to write letters to famous figures—from comic book writers to Olympians to scientists. They reply to these letters, which end up in Jessi's journal. The eighth grader also learns about the science, nutrition, and even technology that can develop superhero characteristics in anyone. There is a lot to like in this hybrid novel, notably the lively illustrations by veteran animator Pearn, but it is ultimately a little too didactic. The work includes actual letters from real people inserted in the narrative. In principle, this is a fun and interesting element and the people Zehr has chosen to include are genuinely fascinating. But the real letters written to a fake character feel clunky and they slow the story. Jessi is an engaging protagonist, and learning more about girls and women in comics is a welcome contribution to the genre. Recommended for larger collections and those with highly circulating graphic novel collections.—Angie Manfredi, Los Alamos County Library System, NM

School Library Journal

2014-07-29
For quiet eighth-grader Jessie, an assignment about superheroes evolves into a journey of transformation. Jessie's superhero research spans the duration of the school year, concluding with a final debate-style competition in which Jessie must demonstrate why her selection is the ultimate superhero. When a longtime rival compares her to a sidekick, Jessie decides to apply her superhero's qualities to her own life. She soon compiles a list of Batgirl's traits, including physical and mental capabilities, to nurture. In diary format, Jessie chronicles her diligent research and attempts at self-improvement. While the journal entries convey Jessie's enthusiasm, they also reveal her insecurities. Pearn's illustrations further illuminate Jessie's personality, capturing her inquisitiveness and determination and comically portraying her efforts with zing. Through Jessie's investigations and discoveries, Zehr provides information on a variety of topics: pioneering women, martial arts, scientific and technological advancements, nutrition and comic-book lore. An aspiring journalist, Jessie conducts a portion of her research through interviews, and Zehr incorporates the actual words of several notable individuals in the narrative. The written responses of a police sergeant, filmmaker, astronaut, Olympic athletes and others to Jessie's questions motivate her to continue pursuing her goals. Jessie enters the final debate with a newfound wisdom gleaned from her endeavors. Readers should readily respond to Jessie's mission of self-improvement. (Fiction. 10-15)

Kirkus Reviews