Almost Super audiobook

What makes a superhero? Is it the superpowers, or is it something greater?

Rafter and Benny Bailey have been waiting for this day, February 29th, since the moment they learned their family was made up of superheroes. The moment the clock hits 4:23pm, Benny and Rafter's lives will forever change as they inherit the superpowers that will allow them to protect their city from the villainous Johnsons. their dreams take a nosedive, however, when the boys end up with rather useless powers, crushing their dreams of supersuits and heroics. After an encounter with classmate and nemesis Juanita Johnson, they learn Juanita was also unlucky in the power department. To top it off, their conversations with Juanita brings new truths to light and challenges everything the boys believe in. They're forced to ask: which family is the real threat to their town? The Johnsons...? The Baileys...? Or someone else entirely?I can't stop talking about Marion Jensen's debut, ALMOST SUPER. Hilarious and packed with unforgettable characters, this book has immediately found a place in my heart and, best of all, into my everyday life. After telling various people about the book and the obligatory fist shake by the Bailey's upon mentioning the Johnsons, we've developed a bit of a habit of blaming the Johnsons when things go wrong, accompanied, of course, with a fist shake. But ALMOST SUPER reminds readers that first impressions and secondhand accounts aren't always the best source of information and, perhaps, the Johnsons aren't truly the rightful recipients of our blame. A fantastic adventure with a great message about the true meaning of bravery and heroics, ALMOST SUPER is a must read!

My 9 year-old-son read Marion Jensen's Almost Super a few weeks ago--and reread it again the next day he liked it so much. So I figured I should probably see what the appeal was, and after reading, I have to say I get it. Almost SuperJensen's book has a lot of humor, heart, and action, and if not everything is plausible, well, it's a super hero story. In the Bailey family, everyone over the age of twelve gets their super power on February 29th at 4:23 p.m. So Rafter and Benny are eagerly awaiting the powers that they'll use to fight their arch-enemies, the Johnsons. But when the pivotal time comes and goes, they discover that their powers are, respectively, the ability to light a match on polyester, and turning an innie belly button into an outie. (Incidentally, my kids and I had a hilarious dinner-time discussion trying to come up with our own useless super-hero abilities).All this would be bad enough, but now they have to face Juanita Johnson at school. But when a chance conversation with Juanita reveals that the Johnsons think *they* are the super-heroes and the Baileys are the villains, and that an unknown enemy might be using their long-time enmity to conceal a real villainous plot, Rafter discovers that they have a chance to be . . . almost super.This really is a fun book: the story rockets along and the characters are funny and likeable. (If some of the adults are a little dense, that just lets the kids shine more). A great book for younger readers.

I love Almost Super. The Baileys are everything a superhero family should be--eccentric, courageous, funny, and above all, full of heart. But when Rafter Bailey and his little brother Benny get their superpowers, they're crushed to find that their "super" powers aren't super at all. The Baileys think they protect their city from the evil Johnson family. But Rafter and Benny soon learn a shocking truth from their classmate and nemesis, Juanita Johnson, that forces the brothers to question everything they know about heros and villains. When a new super villain threatens the city, Rafter and Bailey must rely on their not-so-super powers to save the day. Employing an exemplary mix of top-notch storytelling, involving action, and accessible humor, Marion Jensen perfectly twists the typical superhero story into something every kid can relate to: the desire to do big things with what you've been given. Jensen ably reminds us why being super is a state of mind. Laugh-out-loud funny and packed with lovable characters, Almost Super will keep middle grade and teen readers in stitches, and anticipating Rafter and Benny's next adventure. I highly recommend it.

This book is suggested for ages 8 - 12, so I’m really pushing my limits on this one. Would I have liked this when I was 10? I’m not sure. Someone gave me The Wizard of Oz when I was 9 and I was insulted—that was a kid’s book!The lessons here are about conflict and difference, and also about self-acceptance. All that is fine. According to the cover, there is zany wit and exciting action. How do adults rate books for kids?—I guess they are trained for the task and have benchmarks and standards. This adult was a little bored, not invested, but blame all that on me, the age-inappropriate reader. The book is fine. In this world, you get your superpower at age 12. Is this a metaphor for puberty, waiting for the powers that come from being an adult? Perhaps I’m reading too much into it.

Super cute kids book! My 9 year old son and I both really enjoyed it. I found myself disappointed at times when he didn’t want to read anymore for the moment. I was excited to see what would happen next lol.

Every February 29 at 4:23pm the Baileys who have turned 12 since the last leap year or married into the family get a super power. Rafter and Benny Bailey are super excited because this February 29 they will get their powers. However, when 4:23pm hits, Rafter and Benny go from the heights of excitement to the depths of despair. The powers they get are duds. Completely and utterly useless. Which is going to be extra horrible, because Juanita Johnson, member of the Bailey’s archnemesis family the Johnsons would have also gotten her powers on the 29th and they have to go to school with her. Rafter and Benny are determined to figure out what the Johnsons did to them to take away the awesome powers they should have gotten and give them laughable powers instead. However, as Rafter grills Juanita about her family’s evil plans, he starts to uncover a bigger and more sinister plot. (view spoiler)[The Johnsons think the Baileys are the supervillains, and it turns out all their battles have been organized by a third outside source who is plotting the families against each other for his own nefarious ends. (hide spoiler)]This is a superhero story that is high on fun and light on the violence and boo-boos (no one is ever killed or even seriously hurt in the battles). It’s an interesting tale about the importance of looking at things from both sides and overcoming prejudices. And it is written quite humorously. I devoured this quickly and snatched up book two immediately.Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. As mentioned, no fatalities. The “battles” between the Baileys and Johnsons are mostly powers versus powers (like lava versus water) and people aren’t punching or anything. There is one instance at the end when things get a little more serious, but everyone makes it out ok.

Funny, action-packed, and smart. Boys and girls will both love Almost Super.

This was a great book! While I was reading it my love for "Almost Super" was as everlasting as the war between the Johnsons *shakes fist* and the Baileys *spit* right until the end!

"Every superhero has a secret identity. I don't know a single one who doesn't. Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?" - Mr. Incredible from Pixar's "The Incredibles."The Bailey family and the Johnson family are embroiled in a modern-day feud extending across the globe! Sworn enemies, they work around the clock to foil the plans each other crafts. In the process, they create some pretty significant messes. To meet them out in the community, you wouldn't know they were super. Their amazing powers are cloaked in 'average' to protect their secret identities. But you can't judge crime fighters and villains by their outer trappings. Deep inside each Bailey and Johnson stirs a phenomenal power gifted to them on a special day at a special time. As the story opens, Rafter and Benny eagerly wait to see what their power will be, but more disappointing than a pre-packaged sandwich from the gas station - and more devastating than getting a "D" on a test you were sure you aced - the anticipation of the brothers is met with dismal (even comical) anticlimactic powers. How can you save the world by turning your 'innie' into an 'outie'?Strange things are afoot, and it's hard to know who to trust in this book. Almost Super has the vibe of Pixar's "The Incredibles." It will appeal to a wide range of readers with its mystery, puzzling occurrences, action, comedy, and children who grasp something big before the adults even catch a whiff of it! There is also a meaningful message about working together instead of against each other that I found personally appealing. Almost Super

Marion Jensen’s Almost Super is the kind of book that epitomizes a middle grade novel for me. The story centers on Rafter and Benny Bailey, of the famous Bailey superhero family, who will get their superpowers at 4pm on the first February 29th after their twelfth birthdays. They’ve spent their entire lives dreaming of this moment, and they’re totally underwhelmed when those superpowers do arrive (the ability to light polyester on fire doesn’t often come in handy in hand to hand combat). The boys worry that their family is going to go down against the cross-town rivals, the Johnsons, especially since it appears that Juanita, their nemesis, has all the powers. But the three kids come together to heal rifts and ferret out the real bad guys behind the scenes. This book is witty and entertaining and has a great message, and although it’s a perfect stand-alone novel, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Rafter, Benny and Juanita.

Fans of The Incredible movies will have a great time reading this superhero story. Like some other middle-grade superhero stories, Almost SuperYour reader will love the short chapters filled with snappy dialogue and exciting adventure. The fun continues in Searching for SuperJoshua DreadSupers of Noble's Green

Rafter and Benny Bailey have been waiting their whole lives for this day-- the day they get their superpowers. But when their powers do arrive, they are sorely disappointed. Their superpowers aren't very super at all. In fact, they are barely even powers. Rafter's power is that he can light a match on polyester fabric, and Benny can turn his innie bellybutton into an outie.They are devastated. They wanted real superpowers, like the rest of their family. Super strength, super speed, invisibility-- something actually useful in fighting crime.They are relegated to the backseat as their family fights the supervillain family, the Johnsons all over town.Rafter is understandably upset. How is he supposed to defeat his classmate and nemesis, supervillain Juanita Johnson, now?