In honor of the 2015 superhero teen summer reading theme, here is a book list to assist you in leaping the library in a single bound. And, if the science of superheroes intrigues you...then, kapow:
Register for one of our airplane, glider, rocket, metamorphosis, or astronomy workshops coming up in July and August.
Quantum Prophecy: the Awakening, by Michael Carroll, 2006. First book in
Quantum Prophecy series. Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans--both heroes and villains--13-year-olds Danny and Colin begin to develop super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention.
Sidekicks, by Jack D. Ferraiolo, 2011. Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, a middle schooler by day and Justice's super-fast, super-strong sidekick by night. Life isn't easy for Bright Boy...especially after an embarrassing incident involving his tight spandex costume. And, even worse, B.B. is starting to see signs that his boss may not be entirely on the up-and-up.
The Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks, 2013. "What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores and have a weakness for kittens? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young, female superhero, battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world" -- from publisher's web site.
Graphic format.
Vindico, by Wesley King, 2012. First book in
Vindico series. When supervillains of the Vindico realize they are getting too old to fight the League of Heroes, they kidnap and begin training five teens, but James, Lana, Hayden, Emily, and Sam will not become the next generation of evil without a fight.
Illusive, by Emily Lloyd-Jones, 2014. First book in
Illusive series. "After a vaccine accidentally creates superpowers in a small percentage of the population, seventeen-year-old Ciere, an illusionist, teams up with a group of fellow high-class, super-powered thieves to steal the vaccine's formula while staying one step ahead of mobsters and deadly government agents"-- Provided by publisher.
Hero, by Mike Lupica, 2010. Fourteen-year-old Zach learns he has the same special abilities as his father, who was the President's globe-trotting troubleshooter until "the Bads" killed him, and now Zach must decide whether to use his powers in the same way at the risk of his own life.
Battling Boy, by Paul Pope, 2013. A twelve-year-old demigod is sent to help the people of Arcopolis, a city infested with monsters.
Graphic format.
I Am Princess X, by Cherie Priest, 2015. Years after writing stories about a superheroine character she created with a best friend who died in a tragic car accident, 16-year-old May is shocked to see stickers, patches, and graffiti images of the superheroine appearing around Seattle.
Shadoweyes, by Campbell Ross, 2010. First book in
Shadoweyes series. After getting knocked unconscious on her first mission, aspiring vigilante Scout Montana discovers that she's able to transform into a blue superhuman creature, and with this new body she becomes the superhero Shadoweyes.
Graphic format.
Hero, by Perry Moore, 2007. Thom Creed's father is an ex-superhero who was disgraced in a terrible tragedy, so when Thom begins to develop superhuman powers, he doesn't tell his dad. He secretly begins training with the League of Superheroes. But after a series of hero-murders threaten not only the League but world security, Thom and his team realize it's up to them to save the day. -- Description by Ellen Foreman.
V is for Villain, by Peter Moore, 2014. Brad Baron, and his friend Layla, discover dangerous secrets about the superheroes who are running their society, a finding that pulls them into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles and startling family secrets.
School for Sidekicks, by Kelly McCullough, coming August 2015. "Superhero geek Evan survives a supervillian's death ray, and is sent to the Academy for Metahuman Operatives. Unfortunately, instead of fighting bad guys, Evan finds himself blacklisted, and on the wrong side of the school's director. Can he convince his semi-retired has-been mentor to become a real hero once again?"--.
Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson, 2013. First book in
Reckoners trilogy. At age eight, David watched as his father was killed by an Epic, a human with superhuman powers, and now, ten years later, he joins the Reckoners--the only people who are trying to kill the Epics and end their tyranny.
Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson, 2015. First book in
Nimona series. Lord Blackheart, a villain with a vendetta, and his sidekick, Nimona, an impulsive young shapeshifter, must prove to the kingdom that Sir Goldenloin and the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.
Graphic format.
Ms. Marvel. Vol. 1, No Normal, by Willow Wilson, 2014. First book in
Ms. Marvel series. Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American girl from Jersey City who lives a conservative Muslim lifestyle with her family, suddenly acquires superhuman powers and, despite the pressures of school and home, tries to use her abilities to help her community.
Graphic format.
The Shadow Hero, by Gene Luen Yang, 2014. In the comics boom of the 1940s, a legend was born: the Green Turtle. He solved crimes and fought injustice just like the other comics characters. But this mysterious masked crusader was hiding something more than your run-of-the-mill secret identity: the Green Turtle was the first Asian American super hero. The comic had a short run before lapsing into obscurity, but Gene Luen Yang has revived this character in Shadow Hero, a new graphic novel that creates an origin story for the Green Turtle.
Graphic format.
Perhaps you have an interest in the cape swirling adventures of a particular superhero? Here are catalog links to a few favorites:
Or, maybe you would like to create your own superhero comic:
How to Draw Superheroes, by Andy Fish, 2011. Tools, techniques, and basic skills -- Developing style -- Types of superhero bodies -- Good, evil, and supporting characters -- Emotion and motion -- Costumes -- Super environments -- Glossary.
How to Draw Supernatural Beings, by Andy Fish, 2011. Tools, techniques, and basic skills -- Goblins and demons -- Ghosts and ghouls -- Werewolves and shapeshifters -- Vampires -- Voodoo priests and zombies -- Legendary humanoids -- Mythical creatures -- Settings and environments.
Draw Comic Book Action, by Lee Garbett, 2010. A guide to drawing comic book superhero characters emphasizes techniques for drawing the body in movement and putting these poses to work to portray action scenes.
Stan Lee's How to Draw Superheroes, by Stan Lee, 2013. Demonstrates how to draw superhero characters in the style of Marvel favorites, demystifying specific tools and techniques while sharing advice for also creating villains, sidekicks, and monsters.
DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide, by Brandon T. Snider, 2011. A compact, alphabetic reference profiles the heroic and villainous characters that make up the DC Universe, from Aquaman to Zatanna, providing fascinating details about their powers, weaknesses, enemies and more.
Other DC Comics Guides.
The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics, by Freddie E. Williams, 2009. Examines the entire process of making digital art, from creating a template to establishing a digital file, with step-by-step directions, detailed illustrations, timesaving shortcuts, and more from one of the industry's leading digital artists.
