Joey has a secret, one that’s prompted several moves to new towns, new schools: He has superpowers. Sometimes. As long as he sticks to an all-white diet—milk, tofu, eggs without the yolks, unbruised bananas—he stays normal. But if he eats trail mix, he gets a burst of amazing speed. If he drinks fruit punch, his fists pack a wallop. At his newest school, he meets another boy on the fringes of middle-grade social hierarchy, Jerome, who suffers under the verbal and physical abuse of a bully named Bug. Joey faces a lot of tough decisions: Does he reveal his true nature to his new friend? Does he risk exposing himself yet again to stand up for what’s right? Should he try out for the soccer team? And, if so, should he use his powers to get an advantage?
J. Torres and Dean Trippe create a truly unique superhero in this first graphic novel in a project series. Joey’s abilities are a gift and a curse to him, a source of tension as he goes about his daily life. A preview comic several months back revealed that his powers are varied: Noodles give him stretchy arms, mini-chocolates shrink him down, and pepperoni causes flames to erupt from his eyes. While the hardback book isn’t as dramatic, it does build a solid base for Joey to leap from. The visual style is clean and colorful, with a few sly details (note the star fruit T-shirt he wears when Joey is unleashing his full superhero side at one point).
“What Kids Are Reading” is a regular feature in the Sun, highlighting children’s books available for young readers in Santa Maria. This week’s recommendation was made by Executive Editor Ryan Miller.
This article appears in Jan 19-26, 2012.
