Alterations by Ray Xu (Union Square Kids, 240 pages, grades 4-7). 10-year-old Kevin Lee has more than his share of difficulties at home, with a recently divorced mom who works long hours at her alterations shop, a feisty Chinese grandmother who doesn’t stand for anything resembling nonsense, and a teenage sister who blames much of her unhappiness on Kevin. At school, Kevin tries to stay under the radar, but a lunchtime incident earns him the nickname Egg Boy that he can’t seem to shake. A field trip to an amusement park results in a near-disaster, but also gives Kevin the chance for a transformation into something resembling a superhero.
Taking place in Toronto over a week in 1994, Kevin’s real-life story is interspersed with some of his daydreams about his favorite comic book characters (which I’ll confess, I mostly skipped over). Kevin deals with family issues, friendship difficulties, and the struggles that come with being a second-generation Chinese kid in a mostly white school. Many readers will find something to connect with in Kevin’s week, and the final transformation, while a tad unrealistic, was lots of fun.
The Racc Pac by Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Whitney Gardner (Simon and Schuster, 184 pages; grades 2-5). Meet the Racc Pack: Dusty (the brains), ReRe (the muscles), and Scraps (the tech guy, and actually a possum who believes he is a raccoon). They spend their nights scavenging the streets of Toronto (again!), despite the city’s best efforts to keep raccoons out of the trash. When they discover a dumpster full of food behind the Well Bean grocery store, a battle ensues between the wily Racc Pack and villainous store owner Jeff Bean. JB, a mysterious black cat with a grudge against Bean, proves to be a helpful addition to the team, and the animals end up with a win against the humans, at least for now (this is billed as book 1).
My somewhat low expectations were definitely exceeded by the humorous high jinks of the Racc Pack. Adults will enjoy the social commentary as the hardworking animals unite to bring down the wealthy store owner, and kids will get a kick out of the clever shenanigans and plot twists throughout the story.
The Adventures of Invisible Boy by Doogie Horner (G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 176 pages, grades 3-6). Evil boy genius Gene invents an invisibility potion. Awkward new kid Stanley accidentally spills it on both of them. With time running out before the change becomes permanent, the two square off in Gene’s basement lab, eventually joining forces to create an antidote just in the nick of time. And they discover something each one needed even more than a superpower–friendship.
Try this one out on Dog Man or Wimpy Kid fans. The humor, adventure, and references to superheroes should prove to be a winning combination. I saw a review that mentioned the similarity in the artwork to Calvin and Hobbes, and Gene and Stanley seem to have both Calvin’s vivid imagination and knack for getting into trouble.