Superzeroes

Away from the Hothell Darkness ('You'll never leave ...') we book our passage on a rusting hulk at the bottom of the ocean floor, The Hard Ship Grizzly. Read and weep the tales of the wicked children who were too naughty, too selfish, too rude or just ... too much.

Rhuday-Perkovich delivers a masterful debut, telling a layered middle-school tale filled with characters who are delightfully flawed and, more importantly, striving to overcome those flaws.--"Publishers Weekly," starred review.

For fans of Stuart Gibbs comes a hilarious, illustrated middle-grade adventure debut about a superhero with no superpowers. “Should appeal to readers who enjoy the Captain Underpants and Wimpy Kid series.” - School Library Connection When Murph Cooper begins his new school several weeks into the year, he can't help but feel a bit out of his depth. And it's not because he's worried about where to sit, making friends, and fitting in. It's because his mom has accidentally enrolled him at a school for superheroes. And unlike his fellow students, who can control the weather or fly or conjure tiny horses from thin air, Murph has no special abilities whatsoever. But Murph's totally normal abilities might just be what the world needs. Because not far away is a great big bad guy who is half man and half wasp, and his mind is abuzz with evil plans . . . and when he comes after the best and the brightest, it's up to Murph to be the real hero. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this laugh-out-loud story proves that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

Joe and Rob discover they have superpowers in this seventh adventure in the hilarious Bots chapter book series. Many years ago, scientists on Earth sent video satellites out to the end of the universe to see what was hiding in deep space. Now, years later, these satellites have begun sending their first videos back to Earth...and the stars of the show are two goofy robots. Joe and Rob have just made a huge discovery…they have superpowers! Joe can fly! And Rob can…well, Rob is still figuring out what his superpower is, but still! Clearly this means they must become superheroes and save the day. But when they discover that their powers are kind of ordinary in the Bot world, can they be heroes without being super? With easy-to-read language and graphic novel art on almost every page, the Bots chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.

The second caper of this hilarious, popular series has feisty, gritty SuperZero deal with ghosts who are terrorising the local mall. Meet the looniest ghosts ever—screeching singers who steal mannequins, old buffalo-riders and even ghosts who are afraid of ghosts. The supporting cast of madcaps—Anna Conda, Vamp Iyer, Tara RumPum— each plays their special role in creating even more madness. The superhero kids try their best to send the ghosts home and, as the action gets more nail-biting and rib-tickling, you’ll find yourself half-hoping the ghosts don’t disappear because then the book will end.

Want to know how to be a Superhero? It's easy-peasy-choco-cheesy! But SuperZero, our ten-year-old hero, is the only student at the Superhero School who can't seem to find his superpowers. Every time he trys to save the town, he turns it upside down! But when the Eggstremely Dangerous Eggster unleashes a truly diabolical weapon of mass destruction, it's left to SuperZero to foil his plans. Except, he's accidentaly locked himself up in a zoo. Now ... what to do? Join SuperZero as he trips, tumbles and crashes through loony adventures with a vampire who hates blood, a dude who appears only in patches, a cutie who starts as a girl and ends as a snake, a dog that eats EVERYTHING in sight.

With great trouble come great laughs! Everyone including BigaByte is in a lousy mood because someone’s stealing their laughs? Whaaa? Plus SuperZero’s mom has a bewildering surprise for him. Plus, plus, plus there is a cunning clone in school who is turning himself into everyone else and creating full-on chaos. (Pssst, that’s your cue, SuperZero. Do your thing!)

Join Lola and her quirky and hilarious super club of crocodiles, sharks, dinosaurs (in undies), skeletons, and her cat Hot Dog, for a death-defying adventure to… her elementary school. When Lola’s teacher is out sick due to a “small accident,” a miserable substitute takes over her history class. Weird things start happening like resident Friendly Falls middle-aged villain, Max Imum, joining the class and calling the sub “Mommy,” students disappearing, and the class adding real monsters to the curriculum. Today’s lesson is simple… survive until the bell.

Casey Applejack's career as a superhero might be over before it's even begun. His mother wants him to choose a safe job as a TV game show host and the Super School has rejected him because his super powers aren't super enough. However, when the evil villain and wannabe rock star General Pandemonium captures all of the world's superheroes, and threatens to vaporise every pair of pants on the planet, it's up to Casey to save the day. Will he be a superhero - or will he be a superzero?

Superheroes have been an integral part of popular society for decades and have given rise to a collective mythology familiar in popular culture worldwide. Though scholars and fans have recognized and commented on this mythology, its structure has gone largely unexplored. This book provides a model and lexicon for identifying the superhero mythos. The author examines the myth in several narratives--including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Green Arrow and Beowulf--and discusses such diverse characters as Batman, Wolverine, Invincible and John Constantine.