The Super Life of Ben Braver by Marcus Emerson (review)

To Ben Braver’s disappointment, starting sixth grade at Kepler Academy is just like attending any normal school—classes to struggle in, bullies to deal with, embarrassment to endure, and more rules than any eleven-year-old would like—despite the fact that Kepler is a private school built especially for kids with superpowers. Unlike his classmates, though, Ben hasn’t shown any signs of having special abilities, at least not so far, and he desperately yearns for them. Now, as Ben’s new friends—fireball-burping roommate Noah Nichols, and Penny Plum, who can control animals with her ukulele—attempt to unlock Ben’s potential powers while developing their own, it becomes clear that there’s more than meets the eye at Kepler. Black and white line drawings and panel sequences cleverly illustrate the story’s generous use of potty humor and slapstick and support Ben’s deep fascination with all things superhero. Still, with so much happening in the story’s background—from an elaborate prank by the bullies to dupe Ben into thinking he can fly to an evil plan by an instructor to clone all the students—this first book of a new series fails to provide a cohesive story. It’s also never clear why (aside from narrative convenience) non-powered Ben remains at the superpowered school, but kids with an abiding love of superhero stories may find the premise sufficient to engage them until further explanation comes.