Superhero School

by Aaron Reynolds, Andy Rash (Illustrator)

Overview

Superheroes-in-training use math to save the day, in this action-packed picture book by the bestselling author of Creepy Carrots.

Leonard is no ordinary kid—he's enrolled in Superhero School, where leaping tall buildings in a single bound is child's play. If only long division, fractions, and multiplication came as naturally! But when Mr. Tornado and the rest of the teachers get kidnapped by some ice zombies, Leonard and his pals will need to use their math skills if they stand any chance of dividing (and conquering) the enemy.

With the humor and accessible math concepts of I'm Trying to Love Math and the superhero appeal of Marvel, this is the perfect book to show young ones how math skills can be their own superpower.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599901664
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/07/2009
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,065,399
Product dimensions:	8.72(w) x 11.28(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD720L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Aaron Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and has written many highly acclaimed books for kids, including DUDE!, Creepy Pair of Underwear, Caveboy Dave, and the Caldecott Honor winning Creepy Carrots. He lives in Chicago, with his wife and two children.

Andy Rash has created cartoons for numerous magazines and newspapers across the country, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Entertainment Weekly. He has written and illustrated The Happy Book, Unstinky, and also illustrated Fat Camp Commandos and its sequel-both written by Daniel Pinkwater. His animations has appeared on Nickelodeon and other clients. He also teaches illustration at The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
www.rashworks.com

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 4—Super psyched to attend superhero school, Leonard and his classmates are disappointed to find themselves belaboring math problems with Mr. Tornado instead of focusing on important subjects, such as destroying alien death rays and conquering supervillains and mad scientists. When the unthinkable happens and the teachers are kidnapped by the ice zombies, the class shifts into superhero mode faster than anyone can text "HELP." The obstacles they face are only solvable by application of their newly discovered comprehension of multiplication, division, and fractions. When Mr. Tornado rewards the class for their amazing rescue with an A+ on the math quiz, it registers with Leonard and his fellow superheros that they may have been duped by the faculty. Now the youngsters realize that math is a useful and enjoyable subject. Rash's illustrations in digital collage of gouache and Sharpies create his trademark cartoons that pulsate with energy and engage readers. Reynolds creatively blends the use of math skills in word-problem superhero settings that are playful, smart, and positive. This title is sure to be a winner with children who are anxious or reluctant about math.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY

School Library Journal

Leonard is underwhelmed by Superhero School, where, instead of teaching them to leap tall buildings, his teacher, The Blue Tornado, has the students tackling fractions and division. But on Friday, ice zombies kidnap the entire faculty! The kids spring into action, Leonard and the other flying student each taking half the class to the Arctic Circle, where, without really noticing, they apply their math skills and a bit of teamwork to the task. Reynolds's text has just the right touch of schoolboy ennui mixed with gee-whiz enthusiasm, and folds the lessons in painlessly for readers, if not for Leonard. Rash's bold cartoons ably support the goofiness, depicting a multicultural, multi-powered classroom, with the stalwart Mr. Tornado at the helm. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews