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January 06, 2013
The awesome cover art continues throughout!
Can you see where it says "For Ceci"? That's proof I bought the book for my daughter. Mostly for her, anyways.
I don't plan to review everything I read. But if I particularly like a book, I'm happy to spread the word!
I recently saw Mike Jung speak at my local SCBWI conference and found him to be sincere, interesting, funny and friendly. So I decided to grab a copy of his first book - Geeks, Girls & Secret Identities. I planned to read it myself first, to check it out, and then read it to our 6 yr. old daughter if it turned out to be appropriate. Great news – it was!!
Awesome action, gigantic robots, a superb super hero, white-knuckle tense fight scenes, strong friendships, kids demonstrating determination, witty dialogue, AND at the end you even get…
Nahhhh, I won’t spoil that!
It’s a fun, thoroughly enjoyable read, suitable for advanced younger readers or any middle grade kid. The only thing to watch out for is a handful of uses of “pissed off” or some derivation of that. The phrase is used within context and it’s not overly distracting. I wasn't bothered by it, but I’ll be skipping it when I read the book with our 6y/o little girl.
I came away with the thought that Geeks, Girls & Secret Identities would be enjoyed by both girls and boys. That’s a very positive thing for families. Yes, the “main” main characters are Vincent and his two best pals (3 boys). But the book’s most stupendous character is a feisty, rock-star type girl who I think young ladies will love. I’m certain our 6 yr. old is going to dig Polly!
**A quick aside – if you do get this book for a young reader, try to not let them read the Amazon description. There’s a bit of a spoiler in there since it gives away Captain Stupendous’s secret identity. If kids don’t find that out until they read the book, it becomes a much more fun reveal!**
Back to the review. There was one very specific thing I REALLY liked that stuck out to me as I read GG&SI. In Copperplate City where all the characters live, there has evidently been a lot of super hero and super villain action over the years. Our MC Vincent and his best buds know about ALL OF IT. During the story, as a past hero or villain is mentioned, Vincent always mentally lists the special powers of that specific hero and recalls a bit about their background. I loved these creative, unexpected tid-bits and there’s plenty more subtle stuff like this all over the book. It’s easy to imagine that Mr. Jung was a fan of comics, super heroes, action figures and the like as a youth. And his effective use of these nostalgia-inducing elements really adds to the charming effects of GG&SI because not only will your kids dig it but you’ll like the book too!
Oh, and as an ‘icing on the cake’ type of bonus - there are creative B/W illustrations sprinkled throughout the book! These add to the story by helping the reader picture exactly what’s happening and what everyone looks like, but they don’t overwhelm so you’ll still get to use your own imagination to fill in the gaps. The artist’s unique style definitely adds to the book’s overall excellent design and color scheme. Geeks, Girls & Secret Identities is well made from cover to cover. This may not be important to some but I like to support authors and publishers who truly care about their craft. Mr. Jung, Mr. Levine and team definitely care.
The book’s ending sets things up well for sequels which would mean more Captain Stupendous adventures with Vincent, Polly and pals. And if Mr. Jung writes ‘em, I’ll be reading ‘em! And I bet you will too. Enjoy!
(Not a solicited review, no Amazon affiliate credits, no nuthin' - I'm just a fan of a good book. Though I did get the writer's autograph, lucky me!)
"Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities" on Amazon
I recently saw Mike Jung speak at my local SCBWI conference and found him to be sincere, interesting, funny and friendly. So I decided to grab a copy of his first book - Geeks, Girls & Secret Identities. I planned to read it myself first, to check it out, and then read it to our 6 yr. old daughter if it turned out to be appropriate. Great news – it was!!
Awesome action, gigantic robots, a superb super hero, white-knuckle tense fight scenes, strong friendships, kids demonstrating determination, witty dialogue, AND at the end you even get…
Nahhhh, I won’t spoil that!
It’s a fun, thoroughly enjoyable read, suitable for advanced younger readers or any middle grade kid. The only thing to watch out for is a handful of uses of “pissed off” or some derivation of that. The phrase is used within context and it’s not overly distracting. I wasn't bothered by it, but I’ll be skipping it when I read the book with our 6y/o little girl.
I came away with the thought that Geeks, Girls & Secret Identities would be enjoyed by both girls and boys. That’s a very positive thing for families. Yes, the “main” main characters are Vincent and his two best pals (3 boys). But the book’s most stupendous character is a feisty, rock-star type girl who I think young ladies will love. I’m certain our 6 yr. old is going to dig Polly!
**A quick aside – if you do get this book for a young reader, try to not let them read the Amazon description. There’s a bit of a spoiler in there since it gives away Captain Stupendous’s secret identity. If kids don’t find that out until they read the book, it becomes a much more fun reveal!**
Back to the review. There was one very specific thing I REALLY liked that stuck out to me as I read GG&SI. In Copperplate City where all the characters live, there has evidently been a lot of super hero and super villain action over the years. Our MC Vincent and his best buds know about ALL OF IT. During the story, as a past hero or villain is mentioned, Vincent always mentally lists the special powers of that specific hero and recalls a bit about their background. I loved these creative, unexpected tid-bits and there’s plenty more subtle stuff like this all over the book. It’s easy to imagine that Mr. Jung was a fan of comics, super heroes, action figures and the like as a youth. And his effective use of these nostalgia-inducing elements really adds to the charming effects of GG&SI because not only will your kids dig it but you’ll like the book too!
Oh, and as an ‘icing on the cake’ type of bonus - there are creative B/W illustrations sprinkled throughout the book! These add to the story by helping the reader picture exactly what’s happening and what everyone looks like, but they don’t overwhelm so you’ll still get to use your own imagination to fill in the gaps. The artist’s unique style definitely adds to the book’s overall excellent design and color scheme. Geeks, Girls & Secret Identities is well made from cover to cover. This may not be important to some but I like to support authors and publishers who truly care about their craft. Mr. Jung, Mr. Levine and team definitely care.
The book’s ending sets things up well for sequels which would mean more Captain Stupendous adventures with Vincent, Polly and pals. And if Mr. Jung writes ‘em, I’ll be reading ‘em! And I bet you will too. Enjoy!
(Not a solicited review, no Amazon affiliate credits, no nuthin' - I'm just a fan of a good book. Though I did get the writer's autograph, lucky me!)
"Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities" on Amazon