THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID

THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER by Marcus Emerson was according to my son the best book he read last year. It is the story of a tween aged boy named Ben Braver who is essentially an ordinary kid who just wants to spend his summer vacation watching television, playing video games and eating his favorite candy. Through a twist of fate Ben finds himself in a position to act like a superhero in the comic books he reads and tries to save someone in need of help.  Though he doesn't actually have any super powers his act of bravery earns him in invitation to go to a special school called Kepler Academy.

It is a school where children with super abilities learn to control their powers. He finds himself with the chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of becoming. The book delves into the humorous situations that occur as Ben tries to fit in with his classmates and takes readers on an exciting adventure as the only kid in school without super powers ends up being the hero who saves them all when the school is in danger.

My son was totally engrossed with THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER. He didn't put the book down for a few days once he started reading it. So this 10-year old was ecstatic when Macmillan Children's Publishing Group sent him an advance reader's edition of the next story in Emerson's Ben Braver series ... THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID. The boy read this new 320 page book from cover to cover in two days. Wow! He was so enthused to read this book and enjoyed it just as much as the first one.

Full of goofy humor, wacky characters and zany situations meant to be amusing to elementary and middle school aged students, THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID is sure to delight any kid who has dreamed of being a super hero. Breaking up the text are eye-catching sketches and comic strips that help transports readers to a fantastic place full of excitement and high jinks. Its juvenile humor is balanced and complimented by an inspirational theme which communicates that a person doesn't need to have super powers to be a super hero.

In the INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID, Ben Bravor is faced with the dilema of whether the students and teachers at school will think of him as a hero or a hoax. Even though he saved Kepler Academy from total destruction during his first year at this secret middle school for kids with special abilities he still doesn't fit in. Ben has been hiding his lack of super abilities which is getting harder during this new school year as his classmates' powers are getting stronger. He is going to have to risk everything now in order to make his dream of becoming the ultimate superhero a reality.

So what happens? You'll have to pick up THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER: THE INCREDIBLE EXPLODING KID to find out! Available now in both e-book or print editions.

SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER

A Geek Daddy's kids are at an age where they aren't old enough for Young Adult novels but have grown up too much for children's picture books.  So as a parent, I'm always on the look out for Middle Grade books that will capture their attention and imagination.  I wanted to share with you a great one my family discovered called THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER.

Books categorized as Middle Grade are primarily meant for boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve in third through sixth grade.  Middle Grade books tend to be the literary equivalent of a PG movie where sexual content and swearing is limited but there is plenty of action scenes and silly humor to make the reading especially entertaining to its core audience.  These books tend to have main characters that are around the same age as their targeted readers, incorporate illustrations throughout the story, and utilize sentence structures and vocabulary that are suitable for independent reading by elementary school aged children.  These are the type of books my nine year old twins are reading right now.

My son has been engrossed by reading THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER ever since Macmillan Children's Publishing Group sent the book our way to check out.  The story which is both written and illustrated by Marcus Emerson has really drawn him into it.  Every time I look around for the boy when he is home from school, I find him with his face buried in the book.  Instead of flipping on the television or picking up his tablet to screw around with when he has had some free time, my son has been enthusiastic about reading THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER instead.  Any book that can get a kid to voluntarily want to read without being prodded to do it like this one has absolutely earns A Geek Daddy nod of approval.

The story follows the adventures of Ben Braver who is essentially an ordinary kid probably a lot like the children reading this book.  All he wants to do is enjoy summer vacation watching television, playing video games and eating his favorite candy.  Then one day, Ben hears someone screaming for help and like his favorite comic book heroes he tries to save the day. 

Unfortunately, his leaping into action to put it simply ends badly.  But it does lead him to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control their powers.  Though Ben apparently doesn't have any special powers he is still offered a spot at the school based upon his bravery.  Now he has the chance to become the superhero he's always dreamed of being.

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group has kindly provided a book for my family to enjoy and another one that A Geek Daddy can giveaway.  Just complete the entries in the form below before 11:59 pm ET on Monday, March 12, 2018.  One lucky randomly selected winner will be sent THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER from the publisher.  Must be a United State or Canadian resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the giveaway.

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Full of goofy humor, wacky characters and zany situations this 320 page hardcover book is sure to delight any elementary school aged reader who has dreamed of being a super hero.  Filled with eye-catching sketches and comic strips that compliment the story's text, Emerson transports readers to a fantastic place full of adventures and high jinks.  Its bravo and humor make THE SUPER LIFE OF BEN BRAVER an entertaining tale which instills a subtle inspirational message that a person doesn't need to have fantastic abilities to be a hero.