Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities

by Mike Jung, Mike Maihack (Illustrator)

Overview

A SUPER funny, SUPER fast-paced, SUPER debut!

Can knowing the most superhero trivia in the whole school be considered a superpower? If so, Vincent Wu is invincible. If not (and let's face it, it's "not"), then Vincent and his pals Max and George don't get any props for being the leaders (and, well, sole members) of the (unofficial) Captain Stupendous Fan Club. But what happens when the Captain is hurt in an incident involving BOTH Professor Mayhem and his giant indestructible robot AND (mortifyingly) Polly Winnicott-Lee, the girl Vincent totally has a crush on? The entire city is in danger, Vincent's parents and his friends aren't safe, the art teacher has disappeared, and talking to Polly is REALLY, REALLY AWKWARD.Only Vincent Wu has what it takes to save the Captain, overcome Professor Mayhem, rally his friends, and figure out what to say to Polly. But will anyone take him seriously? Seriously. Anyone??Find out in this action-packed super comedy debut.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545335485
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2012
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mike Jung is the author of Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities and contributed to the anthologies Dear Teen Me, Break These Rules, and 59 Reasons to Write. He is a library professional by day, a writer by night, and a semi-competent ukulele player during all the times in between. Mike is proud to be a founding member of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks team. He lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and two young children. Find Mike at mikejung.com.
Mike Maihack is the creator of the Cleopatra in Space series. Book One: Target Practice won a Florida Book Award and was a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. He is also the creator of the popular webcomic Cow & Buffalo and has contributed to books like Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman; Parable; Jim Henson's The Storyteller; Cow Boy; Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities; and Comic Book Tattoo. Mike lives with his wife, two sons, and Siamese cat in Land O' Lakes, Florida. Visit him online at mikemaihack.com.

Read an Excerpt

“CAPTAIN STUPENDOUS!” I yelled, swiveling my head and pointing up. There was a sharp whoosh overhead, followed by the sound of fabric whipping in the wind. A roar went up from the crowd.“Time to take care of business, baby!” I yelled. The robot turned and raised its fists as Stupendous flew straight at its chest. “AH, THERE YOU ARE!” Professor Mayhem sounded insanely cheerful to see Stupendous.“Game over, baby,” somebody in the crowd shouted. “Watch, it's gonna be over with one punch!”Whoever said it was wrong, though, because the robot swung one big metal fist and hit Stupendous face-first with a loud CLANG. Stupendous flew sideways, spun around and crashed into the building across the street. Just like that, everyone quit cheering. George, Max and I stood there with our mouths hanging open.“What just happened?” George said.

Editorial Reviews

Many residents of Copperplate City are fond of local superhero Captain Stupen-dous, but 12-year-old Vincent Wu and his best friends Max and George are diehard fans. When a new supervillain, Professor Mayhem, arrives in town with a giant robot, and Captain Stupendous starts acting strangely after their first battle, Vincent and his friends try to figure out what’s going on (and what it has to do with Vincent’s crush, Polly Winnicott-Lee). Debut author Jung smartly balances adventure and comedy in a story about (unwanted) power and responsibility that pokes fun at superhero conventions along the way (Professor Mayhem, like a true supervillain, takes his time to explain his evil plot in full). Jung’s fast-paced storytelling, filled with comics-inspired gadgetry and sound effects, makes the story’s action sequences come alive, and thanks to Maihack’s b&w spot illustrations, Vincent, Polly, and the others look like they’re ready to star in an animated series. Superhero fans also will appreciate the sly nod to Clark Kent/Superman when the book jacket is removed. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] genuinely new sort of superhero story." — Kirkus Reviews"Debut author Jung smartly balances adventure and comedy in a story about (unwanted) power and responsibility that pokes fun at superhero conventions along the way (Professor Mayhem, like a true supervillain, takes his time to explain his evil plot in full)...Superhero fans also will appreciate the sly nod to Clark Kent/Superman when the book jacket is removed." — Publishers Weekly"With snappy and authentic dialogue, layered plotting, full-on science, and sweet preteen romance, Jung's boisterous debut is a winner. Here's hoping we haven't seen the last of this bunch." — Booklist"There is plenty of page-turning action, plenty of snappy dialogue and action sound effects, plenty of middle school drama (and a little romance), plenty of grossness, and plenty of kid superiority over adults. Superhero fans and comic book fans will be eager readers." — Library Media Connection, Recommended"This classic fanboy fantasy hits all the right notes as Vincent uses his wits to overcome some pretty formidable odds.... The dialogue is witty, the plotting clever, and the sentiments are right on target for the age group; fans of Cody's Powerless and readers who enjoy stories about superheroes, underdogs, and friendship skirmishes will all find something to like here." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

This is a superhero story for people who've read too many superhero stories. When Captain Stupendous flies through Copperplate City, every cellphone starts to ring. An emergency text might appear: "STUPENDOUS ALERT: GIANT ROBOT. 24TH & BYRNE." There will be an announcement over the nearest loudspeaker: "LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES ARE IN EFFECT IMMEDIATELY!" Drivers will abandon their cars. Grown-ups will cram into doorways. Kids will be chanting, "STU-PEN-DOUS, STU-PEN-DOUS." The students at King Kirby Middle School have grown up hearing supervillains shout, "FLEE IF YOU MUST!" and, "YOU FACE PROFESSOR MAYHEM, DOLT!" To readers, these lines will be clichés--especially if they're comic-book fans--and in fact, the book is full of clichés: Vincent Wu is a dork, obsessed with superhero trivia and longing after the cutest girl in school. Some people will put down the book after 50 pages, thinking they know what's coming, but there is a giant surprise on page 58, one that is too big to give away here. Two hints: Captain Stupendous may not survive every battle. And almost everyone in Copperplate City has a secret identity. Don't we all? The book never completely escapes cliché. Every chapter has lines like "SOON EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHO I AM, CAPTAIN STUPENDOUS!" But this is a genuinely new sort of superhero story, and it will surprise even people who are tired of sound effects and capital letters. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews