I think ages strong 6-7 to aged 10 will get a kick out of this book, Metropolis Grove. The story is simple: a new kid on the block meets the only other kids on the block on her first day in the neighborhood. Theirs is a friendship that is quickly made, along with a tree house (a little less quickly made) and one of the three does not really believe Superman is real and other knows he is as she saw him from her window when she was still living in Metropolis. With the third talking to her sandwich. A secret lair that might be Superman’s is found, there is an odd shadowy figure, and homework all come in to play. Funky illustrations by Drew Brockington (who is also the author) fit the comic book tone of the book fleshes it all out.
But as an adult reading, I was thinking, “Okay, I see where this is heading. Been there, done that.” The idea of trusting friends, learning to compromise and secrets might be new to the aimed age reading group, but it is familiar to the rest of us. This was not a book for me (my score is more a 2.5 than a two) but it probably will be a great book for your early chapter book reader, graphic novel reader, and any gender reader into superheroes.
There is a small sample of Dear DC Super-Villains by Michael Northrop which follows a few of the villains of Metropolis and Gotham as they answer questions from letters/emails sent to them. And if you are not into villains, you can read about the heroes in Dear Justice League by Northrop.
