Sort of Super (Sort of Super #1)

Gr 3-7--Eleven-year-old Wyatt Flynn longs to use his recently acquired superpowers, like speed, flight, invisibility, and strength, to help others. However, his dad, Sheriff Flynn, makes the tween conceal his powers. The start of sixth grade brings some changes (Wyatt's genius younger sister Adeline is now in his class, for instance), while other things, like bully Caspar, stay the same. Wyatt struggles to keep his secret from good friends Beto and Nara and fights the impulse to use his powers to make a difference. After Wyatt sneaks out of school to put out a fire one day, Adeline pulls the fire alarm to cause a distraction to get him back inside. A late-night trip to erase security footage of that event goes sideways when Wyatt and Adeline stumble onto an explosive secret about their principal. Readers looking for an original superhero story will find much to enjoy in Wyatt's journey as he chafes against his dad's restrictions and secretly teams up with Adeline in a series of escalating encounters. Giving off strong superhero vibes, the expertly colored and textured digital art uses a variety of panels and pop outs to engage readers, especially once the story's action starts to accelerate midway. Flashbacks fill in essential details like how Wyatt got his powers and backstory involving the children's currently missing mother. Most of the main cast--Wyatt, Adeline, and their dad and grandma--are white; classmates Beto and Nara are brown-skinned, as are other background characters. VERDICT A quirky, fun read sure to please fans of superhero graphic novels. The final moments of the book will leave readers eager for a sequel.--Pearl Derlaga