Due to some scheduling problems, I had to slide today's read up a couple days earlier than planned...which is a good thing since a superhero adventure is exactly the right thing to fuel excitement after the last days of storms and colder days. The blurb is what caught my attention on this one, and I love the sense of friendship on the cover...makes me want to grab up a couple friends of my own and save the world. With a trumpet and whiffle ball? Anything is possible!
THE MINOR MIRACLE
The Amazing Adventures of Noah Minor
by Meredith Davis
Illustrated by Billy Young
WaterBrook
Middle Grade Fantasy / Superhero
272 pages
ages 8 to 12
COMING...
MAY 7th!!!
What happens when an average kid finds out he has not-so-average powers? And what if the bad guy the CIA expects him to catch is none other than his long-lost great-uncle? Noah Minor must figure out the answers to these questions and more in this action-packed adventure for young readers.
Noah Minor is a pretty average kid. Nothing major has happened in his life except for the time he survived falling sixteen stories as a baby—and he doesn’t even remember it. As he enters seventh grade, Noah is hoping to be less average and more extraordinary like his best friends, trombone prodigy Rodney and the practically perfect Haley. But during a standard vision test, Noah learns that he can manipulate gravity and a special section of the CIA called Gravitas wants to train him. He also learns that his fall twelve years ago wasn’t an accident. It turns out his family's beloved great-uncle Saul dropped Noah as part of an illegal experiment, and is a wanted fugitive.
Noah is simply ecstatic to learn that he has “super powers” (even though Gravitas refuses to call them that), but he quickly learns that unlocking and harnessing his power isn’t so easy. Plus, it seems Gravitas only wants Noah as bait to capture his great-uncle. But is Uncle Saul really the bad guy—or just the right person to help Noah reach his full potential?
Noah Minor is a pretty average kid. Nothing major has happened in his life except for the time he survived falling sixteen stories as a baby—and he doesn’t even remember it. As he enters seventh grade, Noah is hoping to be less average and more extraordinary like his best friends, trombone prodigy Rodney and the practically perfect Haley. But during a standard vision test, Noah learns that he can manipulate gravity and a special section of the CIA called Gravitas wants to train him. He also learns that his fall twelve years ago wasn’t an accident. It turns out his family's beloved great-uncle Saul dropped Noah as part of an illegal experiment, and is a wanted fugitive.
Noah is simply ecstatic to learn that he has “super powers” (even though Gravitas refuses to call them that), but he quickly learns that unlocking and harnessing his power isn’t so easy. Plus, it seems Gravitas only wants Noah as bait to capture his great-uncle. But is Uncle Saul really the bad guy—or just the right person to help Noah reach his full potential?
MY TIDBITS
The elusive world of spies meets superhero adventure with excitement, heart, and the difficult question of who can really be trusted.
Noah's only had one amazing moment in his life; he survived falling sixteen stories and hitting the ground as a baby. Since then, his life has been more than average. His two best friends add the only excitement to his life, one being a talented trombone player and the other almost perfect in everything. When a usual vision test suddenly has him pulled into a secret room and told he has the power to manipulate gravity, everything changes. Not only is he sucked into the CIA group, Gravitas, for training, but he's immediately given a tiny mission. His great-uncle is a wanted fugitive with superpowers, too, and Noah needs to inform the CIA when his uncle reaches out to him. But things aren't that black and white, especially when Noah learns that his uncle is the only one who knows how powerful Noah really is and is the only one who can help him reach his full potential.
Noah is an easy character to connect with. He starts as an average kid with average problems, nothing over-the-top but normal, day-to-day issues middle graders often face. The relationship to his family is good but not perfect, and his friends have his back, although even that isn't without its ups and downs. When his superpowers hit, his attitude is understandable, for the most part, and makes him easy to root for. He might be over-powered, but this brings its own set of problems...many of which add humorous moments.
Action mixes with humor, while the hurdles offer depth and add heart. Noah has a lot to learn, especially in the superpower realm. This comes with errors and frustration, especially since it rubs against a bit of jealousy he's been harboring. The area of friend and family relations holds the center of the read as these are tested and prodded in unexpected ways. But then, saving the world, no matter how small the part in the mission might first seem, tends to be an adventurous undertaking with difficult and dangerous surprises.
It's an easy, quick read, which flows well. There are a few hiccups in the logic, but nothing which bothers the stories fun and messages. It's a fun adventure for superhero fans or those, who just enjoy an action-packed adventure.
And here she is...
No comments:
Post a Comment