Saturday, April 30, 2016

Kid Konnection: Wonder Woman at Super Hero High


Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you the first book in a terrific new series!

Summary: This groundbreaking new middle grade series follows DC Comics’ most iconic female Super Heroes and Super-Villains . . . as high schoolers. At Super Hero High, the galaxy’s most powerful teens nurture their powers and master the fundamentals of what it means to be a hero. -- Random House

It's hard not to get caught up in the super hero craze that has hit over the past few years; and that's just one of the reasons that I think the new middle grade series DC SuperHero Girls is such a great idea! This series is aimed at young girls, and there's even a line of dolls at Target featuring the characters. I sure hope this concept catches fire because I really enjoyed the first book in the series titled WONDER WOMAN AT SUPER HERO HIGH by Lisa Yee.

WONDER WOMAN AT SUPER HERO HIGH is so much fun! It begins when Wonder Woman (who eventually goes by just Wondy) sees a recruitment video for Super Hero High School. It's everything she's ever dreamed of, and she convinces her mom that she should leave their home and attend. The school offers state-of-the-art technology, gadgets, weapons as well as a Flight Track and classes taught by super hero alums. Wondy thinks it would be a great way to meet other kids just like her!

Despite Wondy's major strength and skills, she doesn't quite fit in with the other kids. She doesn't really have a sense of humor (which ironically enough provides a lot of laughs for the readers), and many of the kids are jealous of her powers. In fact, Wondy faces a lot of the same things any new kid faces when they start at a new school. Of course, everything is intensified a bit because she is trying to make friends with super heroes!

Wondy, at times, struggles to navigate the classes, teachers, rival students, friends, and competitions; and she she turns to her mother for sound advice. Like many kids, Wondy isn't quite sure who to trust; and there are a few surprises in store for her. She also encounters some kids who definitely are on track for a life of crime rather than helping others. However, readers will admire Wondy for not only her super hero skills, but also for her truly kind nature and desire to save the world.

As a mom, I thought this book was terrific. It was funny, entertaining, and full of action, but it also had some great messages for kids and tween girls. While I'm pretty sure most girls don't think of themselves in the same class as Wonder Woman, I do think almost every girl will find themselves relating to her. I was just really impressed with the cleverness of this novel, and I suspect that the next ones in the series will be just as terrific.

In addition, I think fans of DC comics will appreciate this book. I can't even pretend to know much about Wonder Woman and the other super heroes in the story, but I did appreciate how the author tried to incorporate Wonder Woman's story from the comics into this novel. There were a few other characters that I was familiar with and even a few that I discovered when I googled them! I'm guessing that there are even more references to the comics than I could catch!

Overall, WONDER WOMAN AT SUPER HERO HIGH is a great beginning to what looks like a terrific idea for a series. There is something for everyone in the story, and I think kids will love learning about what super heroes were like when they were young.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!


3 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Oh my gosh, what a great way to introduce kids to superheroes!

Stacie said...

Love Wonder Woman! Love that they are keeping her "alive" for a new generation of girls!

Kate Unger said...

Cool. Sounds good! I'll have to check these out.