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mcliz73's review against another edition
4.0
2013 Nutmeg nominee--and I have discussion questions ready to go!
devindevindevin's review against another edition
2.0
fun plot, okay characters, impressively bad dialogue.
kim_j_dare's review against another edition
4.0
Grades 4-7
When Daniel moves to the little town of Noble's Green, PA so that his parents can help care for his sick grandmother, he quickly realizes there's something a little odd about the kids he meets: a secretiveness, and evidence of skills that far surpass normal human abilities. After one of his new friends saves Daniel from a terrible multi-story fall, the group admits that they have superhero powers. But on their 13th birthday, they lose those powers and any memory of them, not even remembering their former friendships. Wanting to learn more about why the powers are lost on their 13th birthday, the group solicits Daniel's help: he sleeps over with one of the boys who is turning 13, and to his horror, he discovers that the powers are being sucked from the sleeping superhero by a villainous figure. Daniel has always loved detective stories, and by putting some of his detective skills to use, he discovers that The Shroud is trying to suck up the abilities of the Noble's Green children in order to increase his own power. Since he's the only one with no powers for The Shroud to steal, Daniel is determined to help find a way to put a stop to the villain's treachery. Along the way, Daniel learns that, even if he can't fly or lift up cars with superhuman strength, he has what it takes to be a hero. This fast-paced celebration of superheroes and friendship has a few twists and turns that will keep kids turning the pages and cheering the whole way.
When Daniel moves to the little town of Noble's Green, PA so that his parents can help care for his sick grandmother, he quickly realizes there's something a little odd about the kids he meets: a secretiveness, and evidence of skills that far surpass normal human abilities. After one of his new friends saves Daniel from a terrible multi-story fall, the group admits that they have superhero powers. But on their 13th birthday, they lose those powers and any memory of them, not even remembering their former friendships. Wanting to learn more about why the powers are lost on their 13th birthday, the group solicits Daniel's help: he sleeps over with one of the boys who is turning 13, and to his horror, he discovers that the powers are being sucked from the sleeping superhero by a villainous figure. Daniel has always loved detective stories, and by putting some of his detective skills to use, he discovers that The Shroud is trying to suck up the abilities of the Noble's Green children in order to increase his own power. Since he's the only one with no powers for The Shroud to steal, Daniel is determined to help find a way to put a stop to the villain's treachery. Along the way, Daniel learns that, even if he can't fly or lift up cars with superhuman strength, he has what it takes to be a hero. This fast-paced celebration of superheroes and friendship has a few twists and turns that will keep kids turning the pages and cheering the whole way.
cadunham's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I got to know the characters, I enjoyed it pretty well, even though Daniel didn't have a strong voice. The twists were surprising and kept me thinking. I will definitely be around for the next book in the series.
trix21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
i will definitely be reading the sequel
kristenremenar's review against another edition
3.0
Daniel doesn't have super powers like his friends Mollie, Eric, and Rohan, and that's exactly what makes him able to save them in the end from The Shroud. Nice twist on a super-hero story, and good action/adventure for the upper elementary/middle school crowd.
kidclamp's review against another edition
4.0
The normal kid in a town full of superheroes has to solve the mystery and save the day.
Powerless want the most surprising juvenile fiction book I have read in a while, but it was one of the more solidly written and it kept me interested until the end and hooked me enough to put the sequel in my reading list.
Powerless want the most surprising juvenile fiction book I have read in a while, but it was one of the more solidly written and it kept me interested until the end and hooked me enough to put the sequel in my reading list.
apotts's review against another edition
4.0
Powerless has been on my I-own-it-so-I-put-it-off-until-I-read-my-library-books shelf for three years. This summer I am making a conscious effort to get through at least ten of those books. I'm glad I started with this one!
Kid superheroes are always fun, but what I love about Powerless is that it's the regular run-of-the-mill twelve year old who comes out as the protagonist. The author manages to capture the priorities of a middle schooler spot-on. While Daniel struggles to understand his place in a new town and has to cope with the loss of his grandmother, he new friends are front and center in his priorities list. While Powerless certainly fits the superhero and mystery genres, it's message about friendship is what carries the story.
Definitely appropriate for 6th grade and up, but elementary students would love this book, too.
Kid superheroes are always fun, but what I love about Powerless is that it's the regular run-of-the-mill twelve year old who comes out as the protagonist. The author manages to capture the priorities of a middle schooler spot-on. While Daniel struggles to understand his place in a new town and has to cope with the loss of his grandmother, he new friends are front and center in his priorities list. While Powerless certainly fits the superhero and mystery genres, it's message about friendship is what carries the story.
Definitely appropriate for 6th grade and up, but elementary students would love this book, too.