cover image Power of Flight (Super You! #1)

Power of Flight (Super You! #1)

Hena Khan and Andrea Menotti, illus. by Yancey Labat. Penguin Workshop, $8.99 paper (272p) ISBN 978-0-593-22485-4

Khan (Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun) and Menotti’s (How Many Jelly Beans?) ambitious Pick-Your-Path Adventure series opener explores myriad routes that readers—who operate as the protagonist—can take while navigating recently developed superpowers. As part of the elite Summer Science Academy the protagonist is attending, they visit a center for avian science. When their class gets split up into pairs, the main character follows their partner, an aloof girl named Alex, into a restricted area and discovers a mysterious silver-feathered bird. After the bird scratches the protagonist’s hand, they develop a fever and wake the next day with the capability of flight. Readers are presented with a plethora of options for what to do next, with each scenario resulting in its own story, providing a unique experience for every individual read. Labat’s (DC Super Hero Girls: Ghosting) graphic b&w ink illustrations and bold speech bubbles add a classic comic-book feel to this madcap adventure and its oftentimes intense resolutions, many of which involve falling from high places and breaking several bones. While its conclusions are often not as fanciful as its premise, this volume proves a quirky addition to the superhero genre. Ages 8–12. (May)