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Book Reviews

Brad Montague - New York Times Bestselling Author and Creator of ‘Kid President'

 

I just want to give a shout out to Welcome to Superhero School! This was written by a high schooler – a real high schooler. Gracie Dix – amazing work! This book has dragons, it has superheroes, it has flight, morphing – it is so fun! Best of all, it’s about kids working together. The fact that a young person wrote this book and that it’s about people coming together to make awesome stuff happen…I’m blown away!

 

Brad Montague

New York Times Bestselling Author and Creator of ‘Kid President’


Rick VanzuraChief Strategy and Business Development Officer, Gamestop & Former Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Borders

Gracie Dix is ready to join the ranks of America’s next wave of great fantasy/adventure writers. Welcome to Superhero School is a page-turner where Oliver, Jessica, classmates and teachers take on supervillains and each other in wave after wave of densely-layered exploits. The book will leave you breathless and waiting for the sequel.

Rick Vanzura
Chief Strategy and Business Develop Officer 
GameStop

Former Executive VP and Chief Strategy Officer
Borders

Brian AndersonAuthor, Dog Eat Doug, Monster Chefs, The Conjurers

Wow, this book comes alive! It’s like the characters are off the page and walking around you. I recommend reading the prequel book first. It’s the origin story of the main characters. The books are fantastic for young readers too. They will not get bored. Astounding debut from Gracie Dix!

Brian Anderson
Author of Dog Eat Doug, Monster Chefs, The Conjurers

Carly Rae London

I have to say Oliver and Jess are my new favorite characters. I love the world Gracie built and how her characters are trying to overcome the villains of Vork. Her imagination shines in this original story, and she conveyed very vibrant characters. The story was gripping and had me pulled into their journey. Not every author can do that, but Gracie did, and I found myself unable to put the book down. I recommend reading this book if you are looking for a fun fantasy book to read. Find out if Oliver and Jess can overcome the villains and survive!

Carly Rae London
HeyIt’sCarlyRae! Book Club

Carly - Beauty & Her Books Blog

I love to discover new authors, and Gracie Dix has written a fun and unique middle-grade book. If you are a superhero fan much like myself, this is something you don’t want to miss! The characters are wonderfully diverse and creative, each with their own set of powers, and when they work together, they are unstoppable. I look forward to seeing where the world and these characters go from here, and for sure, they will be saving the world in one way or another!

 Read the entire blog here

Carly
Beauty & Her Books Blog

Amanda - Books, Tea, Healthy Me Blog

The characters are well crafted and fun to get to know as they learn more about their powers and get to put them to work. The storyline is exciting and fast-paced so even the most reluctant readers will want to keep turning the pages to see what happens next.

As an adult reading this middle grade/young adult book, I especially enjoyed the themes of friendship, perseverance and cooperation that appear throughout. I speak to my Girl Scout Troop about these topics on a regular basis and could see this book becoming a fun summer reading troop project.

 Read the entire blog here

Amanda
Books, Tea, Healthy Me Blog

Gina - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers Blog

If you like books filled with super heroes, action, adventure, friendship, and heart…this one is a definite bet for your “must read” list! You get to know the characters as if you are one of the crew. You have the inside scoop on the dastardly deeds that you’re trying to avert. You have the chance to see the good side and troublesome side of having actual super powers….something we’ll get to a little more in a moment…and all the while, you’re holding your breath to see if they can actually pull together to pull it off and save the day!

 Read the entire blog here

Gina
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers Blog

Aimee Ann - Red Head Book Lover

Welcome To Superhero School is a thrilling, dramatic, and exciting novel that will keep readers entertained, captivated, and engrossed from start to finish!

Dix ensures that readers are entertained throughout by lacing twists and turns throughout the book to ensure readers will never get bored! Five stars!

 Read the entire blog here

Aimee Ann
Red Head Book Lover

Emily - Stories & Starlight

Welcome to Superhero School by Gracie Dix follows a group of friends with different and unique super powers as they go on a mission to destroy the evil Vork.

This book had so many nice friendships that were realistic – with falling outs, then making up with each other so they can work as a team. It was one of my favorite things about this book, as I think good and realistic friendships are important in middle grade.

There were a lot of characters so I was worried I would get confused but they all had different personalities and I always knew who was who! The different powers each character had were really fun and unique. Some of them were controlling elements, mind reading, super intelligence and loads more interesting ones. And they got to use them plenty as there was a lot of action so the book was never boring.

The actual plot was really good and it’ll be interesting to see how it develops in the future books along with the world which I’d love to see further explored. There were alternate dimensions that I thought were really great and a jungle filled with dinosaurs and other creatures. The audience this book was written for will definitely enjoy it, but I think everyone else could as well!

Emily – Stories and Starlight
Teen Bookstagrammer – @storiesandstarlight_

Trinity Grau

Welcome to Superhero School is an exciting read from author Gracie Dix! If you’re looking for an exciting middle grade book, you’re in luck. This one won’t disappoint.

The story: It’s not so easy being a superhero. Just ask Oliver and Jess, siblings at Superhero School. Their powers don’t come easy. There’s a lot of training involved just to become a quality leader. And if that weren’t enough, superheroes always have an opponent. Supervillains come in all shapes and sizes and this time the siblings are faced against the deadly villains of Vork. What with the secrets of twins Mason and Jason, the incredible locations, and the danger that lurks around every corner, it seems it’s not going to be dull school year.

My thoughts: Part Marvel origin story, part Percy Jackson, and all parts awesome, Welcome to Superhero School is yet another great read from authoress Gracie Dix! This is a novel definitely targeted towards younger audiences (no lengthy prose or intricate prose), but it serves its purpose well. Highly entertaining and a delightful book to while away the afternoon with, this is one to hand off to your middle grade readers who have graduated from lighter reads and are looking for something a bit more hefty.

Parental Advisories: None! This is a clean read straight through!

Trinity Grau
Little Reader Book Reviews and More

 

Larry JamesPresident and CEO, CitySquare & Author, House Rules: Insights for Innovative Leaders and The Wealth of the Poor

Part Marvel action comics, part Harry Potter, this well written novel for teens will keep your pages turning for sure! Welcome to Superhero School grabs you from the first page, takes you on a fantastical adventure with a diverse cast of characters, and leaves you wanting more. Gracie Dix is a gifted young author, who knows how teens speak and think. What I admire most about this book is that the characters must learn to accept themselves, work with others, and persevere in order to meet the many challenges they face. Filled with peril and unexpected twists, this novel had me imagining what the movie would look like. If you enjoy fantasy fiction, you will love Welcome to Superhero School!

I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Larry James
President and CEO
CitySquare

Author
House Rules:  Insights for Innovative Leaders and The Wealth of the Poor

Janis DworkisEditor

As parents, we’re always looking for books to engage young people in a thrilling reading experience. We want them to engage with strong characters, become a part of the action, and have a stake in finding out how it will all “turn out.” (We want them to love reading as much as we do!)

Welcome to Superhero School checks all those boxes and more for the preteen and young teen crowd. With action that begins in the first line and follows nonstop throughout the book, the reader is always engrossed in the plot, surprised by the what the villains of Vork come up with and the creative ways our superheroes respond. Even so, things are not always what they seem to be, and everyone is in store for some surprises.

While young readers will respond to the excitement of the action, parents will definitely appreciate the relationships between the large cast of superheroes and their families. Our superheroes bring out the best in each other with their loyalty, genuine concern, humor, and honesty. This book proves that the worst of teen language and actions aren’t necessary to reveal the deepest of emotions and truths. These are teens we wish we all knew, super powers or not!

Janis Dworkis
Editor

Paige McDanielPresident & CEO, Community Partners of Dallas

Welcome to Superhero School starts with a blast and just keeps going!  Every teen and young adult I know will love reading this amazing novel by first-time author, Gracie Dix.  With twists and turns galore, our teen superheroes navigate controlling their awesome superpowers – as well as fighting evil and learning about family, friendships, and team work.  Fast-paced and charmingly frantic with exciting plot twists on every page, this is a fun romp through a world we normally only see at the movies.  Two thumbs up!

Paige McDaniel
President & CEO
Community Partners of Dallas

Larissa LintonCo-Founder, Heroes for Children

This is a story of superheroes, but it is also a story of friendship and perseverance. Again and again, the characters practice problem solving and never giving up. They learn that both asking for and accepting help are an important part of success. They learn that sometimes it’s hard to be a part of a team, and that you must learn to work together. They learn to value their differences and to celebrate each other’s successes. These are life lessons we all need to learn. That these lessons are wrapped into a fast-paced book filled with exciting adventures makes Welcome to Superhero School a sure hit for both readers and parents alike!

Larissa Linton
Co-Founder
Heroes for Children

Anné HughesDirector of Fine Arts, Shelton School

As a Theatre Educator and Director of Fine Arts, I am immensely impressed with this wonderful debut novel by a gifted young author. Welcome to Superhero School is fast-paced and loaded with characters who truly care for one another. The novel reads like a screenplay. I could easily see this becoming a graphic novel or comic book series. I think that adding illustrations would be a bonus as well, as the vivid writing causes the reader to visualize the characters and their actions. In conclusion, I am filled with amazement with this inaugural manuscript and look forward to seeing more from this creative and enterprising young author.

Anné Hughes
Director of Fine Arts
Shelton School

Cinda ThomaAssistant Director of Library & Information Services, St. Mark's School of Texas

Welcome to Superhero School offers a deep dive into a fantastical realm for devoted middle school fans of the superhero genre. The book has great imaginative appeal with a teacher who secretly assigns a heroic mission to a few supernaturally gifted students, a character whose hair transforms into a “light blue glowing whip” to lasso an evil shadow, a dog who morphs into a girl and back again, students who shoot water out of their palms to put our fires, and so much more. But even more significantly, the theme of good overcoming evil, believable dialogue, and richly descriptive action are certain to capture the interest of many superhero enthusiasts.

Cinda Thoma
Assistant Director of Library & Information Services
St. Mark’s School of Texas

Mim McFarlandMiddle School Library Assistant, Falls Church, VA

Fans of Superhero novels will enjoy this fast-paced, action-packed struggle between good and evil. A wide variety of Superhero powers are on display, as a group of Superhero friends work together to face the dark powers of Vork. Creative plot twists and humor keep the reader engaged. In addition, the teen author has a great ear for dialogue. Conversations are realistic—but without the coarse language or profanity that can sometimes be an issue in Young Adult books. 

Another plus is that it looks like Welcome to Superhero School might be the first in a series, The Vork Chronicles.  Middle-schoolers love series! For anyone who loves reading about the Superhero battle against evil, I would definitely recommend Welcome to Superhero School.

Mim McFarland
Middle School Library Assistant, Falls Church, VA

 

Jessica Perez

Welcome to Superhero School is an action packed read with a heartwarming message of finding strength within yourself, teamwork, and how relationships truly MATTER. This exciting story is perfect for tween/teen readers. Middle school and high school readers will love this fast-paced book about teens trying to escape the villains of Vork.

Jessica Perez
Mrs. Perez Teacher Tools