  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2016 When four dramatically different middle-schoolers find they’ve developed weird superpowers (one, for example, can teleport himself four inches to the left) after being in a bus crash, they must work together to unravel the mystery of what happened to them. There are sneaky bad guys, hints of conspiracy, even suggestions of aliens, but the focus is mostly on how the four handle one other, as each represents a distinct social group in a very diverse urban middle school. Black and white spot art, occasionally expanded into a comic-panel spread, is interspersed with the text, continuing the action; the illustrations (sometimes accompanied by speech balloons) add accessibility and break up the longer chapters. In addition, snarky newspaper articles help readers catch subtleties and push them to consider both logical and ridiculous explanations for what happened. There’s plenty here to spark curiosity, and the characters are memorable-it will be interesting to see how their wonky powers can be used in future outings. Fans of the author’s Popularity Papers series will be pleased to see this new outing. AS - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 08/01/2016 Gr 5–8—Martina, Nick, Farshad, and Cookie are classmates who barely know one another. After a field trip to Philadelphia, the four students end up on the same bus back to school. Disaster strikes when the bus gets in a bad accident. Nick is flung from the vehicle while Martina, Farshad, and Cookie are trapped. The tweens manage to save one another and their substitute teacher, Mr. Friend, in the nick of time, with the help of a local Amish boy. Unfortunately, the accident is only the beginning of trouble for this quartet. After getting out of the hospital, each notices that something is different. Martina's eyes change colors. Cookie can read minds when it involves directions. Farshad has incredible strength…in his thumbs. Nick can teleport but only four inches to the left. What actually happened in the crash, and why is their substitute teacher after them? Ignatow brings humor and a big dose of silliness to this new series. Superpowers always seem tempting, but, as these four tweens discover, there's a downside that comes with their new abilities. This is also the case for the book itself. The cast is diverse, but some of the language is troublesome. Cookie is referred to as a "beautiful black pearl" and a "dearest chocolate-skinned empress" by Nick's best friend, Jay. Farshad is nicknamed "Terror Boy" throughout most of the story. Though Ignatow works to unpack the language, and Farshad's nickname in particular, the descriptions of Cookie remain problematic. VERDICT This offering has plenty of reader appeal, with an ending designed to hook kids into the next installment. However, the microaggressions will be an issue for any librarian.—Sarah Wethern, Douglas County Library, Alexandria, MN - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 09/15/2016 Several mysteries arise after a school bus crashes in rural Pennsylvania, sending four sixth-grade students and a teacher to the emergency room. Chief among them is that the injured students have acquired oddly specific superpowers. Popular Cookie Parker is suddenly able to read people’s minds—but only when they are thinking about directions. Nick can teleport four inches to the left of where he’s standing. Martina, an artistic Luna Lovegood type, can change her eye color. And social outcast Farshad has super strong thumbs. When fires begin spontaneously erupting around town, the foursome—and Nick’s nerdy friend Jay—band together to see if they can use their powers to help get things under control. Ignatow (the Popularity Papers series) gives middle school a humorous, fantasy twist with her new series. The comics-style illustrations are in perfect keeping with the superhero theme and fast pace, and diverse characters and observations about racism help ground the otherwise wacky plot. The book ends abruptly with many questions unanswered, but it lays the groundwork for future superpowered adventures. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
 |