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- Helen
Kid Normal by Greg James and Chris Smith
Starting a new school can be a tricky thing for anyone, but I think it's safe to say that for Murph Cooper, beginning his time at 'The School' is a little different, considering this school is for kids with superpowers. And, er, minor detail, Murph doesn't have one. Seriously. Not even a whiff of superpoweryness.
Faced with the scorn of most of the school (specifically a certain teacher - not cool, Mr Flash, Not Cool), Murph figures out that it's best to just knuckle down and move on from this fact (as much as you can just simply move on from the fact that your SCHOOL is for SUPERHEROES. I MEAN, WHAT?! *ahem*, uh, of course, I could totally cope with that...), and accept his new nickname of 'Kid Normal'.
But then, as wasp drones begin to fill the skies, students are kidnapped, and a mad supervillain is in a picnicking - I mean, Totally Super Villainous mood, maybe a bit of normality is what this superpower-ed school needs after all...
I made the mistake of starting this book on a train - I say 'mistake', because I kept laughing aloud and scaring the lady sat next to me - and have honestly not stopped thinking about it at least once a day ever since I finished it. Full to bursting with wonderful characters (including my personal favourite, Hilda, who can make tiny horses appear - exactly the power I would like to have), and bucket-loads of humour, all brought beautifully to life with Erica Salgedo's illustrations.
Pure enjoyment from the first page to the last, reading this book is like enjoying the biggest, most wasp-free ice cream in the world. (Side note: I'd also recommend having some ice cream/a favourite snack whilst you read this. I'm sure it would turn the reading practically into a superhero-filled party. What more would you want?) Perfect for fans of the My Brother is a Superhero series by David Solomons, or Maz Evans' Who Let the Gods Out.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to practice my own superpower (which according to others is making the perfect cup of tea), in the hope that it will make the wait until book 2 (Kid Normal and the Rouge Heroes) literally fly by...