December 13 – It’s Gift-Giving Season

About the Holiday

It’s that time of year when we delight in sharing our love for family members and friends with gifts. Books are, of course, perfect gifts. Not only do readers enjoy them again and again, but books can give you a whole world of adventure and surprise and introduce you to characters who are courageous, empathetic, surprising, and funny and who can become like friends—especially when you dig into a series.

Thank you to Scholastic for gifting me a copy of this book for review!

The (Not So) Superheroes: The Terrible Trio #1

Written by Swapna Haddow | Illustrated by Minky Stapleton

When every animal in the world is invited to receive a superpower, Zeb the zebra, Barry the lemur, and Margarine the penguin (full name: Margarine on Toast, Marge for short) find themselves last in a very, very, very long line. As the line slowly moves, Zeb dreams of the riches and acclaim he’ll soon be enjoying. When Zeb, Barry, and Marge reach the front of the line, though, the superpower manager is all out of powers to give.

Turns out, the manager has a smidgen of empathy and quickly makes up three more. Marge receives the power to make mac ‘n’ cheese, Barry gets nice handwriting, and Zeb? He now has “the power to blend in at a crosswalk!” Barry and Marge are thrilled with their superpowers, but Zeb? Not so much. Suddenly, Marge remembers that the Superheroes Cafe is looking for help and thinks they’d be perfect candidates.

The restaurant manager is all in on Marge as a macaroni-and-cheese-making chef and Barry as a menu writer. But Zeb? Barry suggests he can fold napkins. They’re hired and get right to work. Soon a new menu emerges (Mac ‘N’ Cheese for breakfast, Mac ‘N’ Cheese Salad (without the salad) for lunch, and Double Mac ‘N’ Cheese for dinner) while crumpled napkins pile up at Zeb’s station (to be fair, he is working with hooves, not hands).

The cafe fills with customers, and Zeb can’t help but overhear the rumors about the “worthless” power he got, which “ranged from ‘the power of no power’ to ‘the power of having quite sharp toenails on a Sunday.'” Zeb decides he and his friends need to complete a mission to prove they are “awesome superheroes” worth better powers. He even overhears the chicken who was given superstrength reveal that a supervillain crocodile is planning to escape from prison that very night. He plans to help.

With a mac-and-cheese ruse, they get into the prison to stop the breakout, but once inside they hear “Prisoner Break Out!” and are trapped in the kitchen as prisoners and the evil crocodile appear. Just about now, you’re probably on the edge of your seat wondering: Can Zeb use his superpower to save the day? Will Zeb ever learn to fold napkins? Is there a dessert mac ‘n’ cheese waiting in the wings? You’ll just have to tuck into The (Not So) Superheroes to find out!

Swapna Haddow and Minky Stapleton’s new graphic novel series is joyful, silly, laugh-out-loud fun as the last three animals in an endless line of superpower hopefuls become fast friends, bonding over their less-than bestowments while using them to fulfill their remarkable destinies. Haddow’s spirited characters engage in hilarious banter and witty observations that will keep kids giggling as the trio accept (or in Zeb’s case, reject) their powers, squabbling and supporting each other the way good friends do. Her fast-paced plot, twists and turns, and amusing cast of secondary characters provide laughs and suspense on every page, keeping kids riveted to the story.

Minky Stapleton captures all the zany antics, fluctuating emotions, and high-stakes adventure of these newly branded superheroes in her comical illustrations that are jam-packed with humorous details, endearing facial expressions, and dynamic typography that has fun with superhero tropes. Readers can’t help but be charmed by Zeb, Barry, and Marge and become invested in their lives as superheroes.

Introducing the well-conceived The Terrible Trio series (mac ‘n’ cheese as a superpower? Inspired perfection!), The (Not So) Superheroes is freewheeling comedic fun that will captivate kids, including reluctant readers, from the first page and offers plenty of repeat reading rewards. Book Two in the series: The Day the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Ran Out releases on February 3, 2026.

Ages 7 – 10

Scholastic, 2025 | ISBN 978-1546182986

About the Author

Swapna Haddow grew up in the UK and wrote her first book at age eight. She wishes she’d kept it, but it seemed like a good idea at the time to trade it for two stickers and a couple of marbles! Her first published book was the hilarious junior novel Dave Pigeon, which grew into a laugh-out-loud, award-winning series. She has since written many funny, colorful, and much-loved picture books as well as further junior fiction series. Swapna loves to write stories filled with boisterous animals causing mayhem, with friendship and humour consistently at the heart of her work. Swapna now lives in Dunedin, New Zealand, with her husband, son, and their dog. Her first homegrown tall tale with Scholastic New Zealand is But Then… the almost true story of an overdue book. You can visit her at swapnahaddow.com.

About the Illustrator

Minky Stapleton is a multi-faceted illustrator with a range of styles, all with a dash of humor. An award-winning Art Director and Creative Director originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Minky gave up advertising to follow her first love, illustration. She now resides in Auckland, New Zealand, where she balances illustration projects with running classes for kids on how to design scary monsters. Minky has illustrated many titles for Scholastic, from hilarious picture books to historical fiction and high-energy, heavily illustrated junior fiction. Visit her at minkystapleton.com.

Gift-Giving Season Activity

The (Not So) Superheroes: The Terrible Trio Activity Sheets

Kids can whip up lots of fun with the The (Not So) Superheroes activity sheets on author Swapna Haddow’s website. They’ll find sheets for discovering their superpower animal, character-drawing, coloring, and even Marge’s mac ‘n’ cheese recipe. Visit Swapna Haddow’s Fun Stuff page to download the activity pages!

You can purchase The (Not So) Superheroes: The Terrible Trio #1 from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

July 18 – It’s National Anti-Boredom Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

After the initial excitement of summer vacation begins to wear off, many kids start asking, “Now what do I do?” or the ever-popular “I’m bored!” A good dose of boredom, though, can often lead to unexpected adventures, surprising creativity, and exciting discoveries. Reading is a wonderful way to incorporate all three while introducing kids to new ideas, people, places, and experiences or to catch up with favorite characters like Iron Man, who finds his first task in this new Marvel graphic novel “a little boring,” but what comes next is anything but!

Thank you to Harry N. Abrams for sending a copy of this book to me for review!

Iron Man: Something Strange! (A Mighty Marvel Team Up): An Original Graphic Novel (Volume 4)

Written by Dean Hale | Illustrated by Douglas Holgate | Colors by Ian Herring

In the midst of taking on a humongous oaf who’s menacing a river-spanning bridge, “the invincible Iron Man” still has time to muse over how saving the day is “the second-best feeling in the world.” What’s first? Well, that, he reveals—while scanning and repairing the bridge and zipping off to Avengers Tower with the villain’s head—is using his tech skills. Of course, for Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, problems are just opportunities. “Opportunities for technological awesomeness.”

Iron Man hasn’t even gotten inside Avengers Tower before he learns the bad/good? news that another “opportunity” awaits. Disappointingly, the problem isn’t as cool as he hopes. It seems the phones aren’t working—a problem Tony states that “someone of my experience and intellect might find . . . a little boring.” But what does he find? The problem is “boring AND doesn’t follow the laws of physics.” While the other Avengers try to give Iron Man suggestions, he rejects them all, especially Thor’s idea to enlist a magic wizard.

But when Iron Man discovers a little one-eyed octopus-like creature clinging to the satellite dish and then meets its mother—its angry mother who easily defeats Iron Man’s force field—Doctor Strange appears on the scene to help. Against Iron Man’s protests, Strange talks to Gargantos and learns that its ten spawn have “tumbled into this plane of existence” and it wants them found. It gives the two superheroes one hour to find them all, or it eats Iron Man.

Thus, begins a contest between Tony Stark and Doctor Strange to find the most spawn. The prize? The winner gets to keep his mustache. With the stakes decided, the two zoom off to find those little demons. As time ticks down, the two use their individual skills to round up the kids while crashing a party, meeting up with other Marvel superheroes, catching a bank robber, and—could it be?—combining tech and magic (with a little help from a surprise source) to bring Gargantos’s family together and send them on their way. And does Doctor Strange hold up his end of their bargain? You’ll just have to see!

In this fourth installment (out of five) of the Mighty Marvel Team-Up series, Dean Hale has great fun with the good-natured rivalry between Tony Stark and Doctor Strange. Kids are sure to laugh at the one-upmanship between these two as they agree to work together as well as at the dynamics between Stark and the other Avengers as they bump up against Stark’s well-known ego while trying to provide help. Ms. Marvel also appears just in time to bestow on Stark wisdom and perspective he (and readers) can relate to. Bravado, bravery, and friendship are the hallmarks of the Avengers universe, and Dean Hale perfectly captures these forces to entertain readers and spark that superhero in each one of them.

Douglas Holgate’s skill in bringing action, humor, and larger-than-life characters to the page is on full display in this madcap adventure loaded with technological and magical wonders that will thrill kids. Every panel crackles with motion, otherworldly feats, danger, and emotive facial expressions that define each character. And Holgate didn’t forget the cuteness! The one-eyed, tentacled children of Gargantos are adorable as they run rampant through the city. Readers will also be pleased with Doctor Strange’s answer for what to do with the destruction Gargantos wrecks upon the park before recovering all ten little ones.

Ian Herring’s vibrant colors replicate the “Wow!” factor of a blockbuster movie in this eye-catching graphic novel. Herring’s deft use of pastel and vivid shades moves the reader’s eyes naturally across the spreads while highlighting the action or most crucial part of the scene. The rich red of Iron Man’s suit accentuates his starring role in this story. Visit him at 156thmongoose.com.

An exciting, humorous, and high-impact addition to this Marvel-ous series, Iron Man: Something Strange! (A Mighty Marvel Team-Up), is a must for all action hero-loving kids as well as for all children’s library collections.

Ages 6 – 9

Harry N. Abrams, 2025 | ISBN 978-1419770517

About the Author

Dean Hale is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of over 20 books for young readers, including Eisner Award-nominee Rapunzel’s Revenge, popular early chapter book series The Princess in Black, two graphic novels about young Wonder Woman, and two novels about the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. It has been said that if you look in the mirror and say Hale’s name three times, he will appear and give you a piggyback ride. This is mostly untrue.

About the Illustrator

Douglas Holgate is the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth from Penguin Kids, now also an Emmy Award-winning Netflix animated series, and the cocreator and illustrator of the graphic novel Clem Hetherington and the Ironwood Race for Scholastic Graphix. He has worked for the last 20 years making books and comics for publishers around the world from his garage in Victoria, Australia. Visit him at douglasbotholgate.com.

If you haven’t already, check out the first three books in the series, featuring Spiderman!

Spiderman: Animals Assemble! | Spiderman: Quantum Quest! | Spiderman: Cosmic Chaos!