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Children's Fiction Humorous Stories

Clara Humble and the Not-So-Super Powers

by (author) Anna Humphrey

illustrated by Lisa Cinar

Publisher
Owlkids Books Inc.
Initial publish date
Sep 2016
Category
Humorous Stories, General, New Experience, Imagination & Play
Recommended Age
8 to 12
Recommended Grade
3 to 7
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781771471473
    Publish Date
    Sep 2016
    List Price
    $16.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781771473866
    Publish Date
    Aug 2019
    List Price
    $12.95

Classroom Resources

Download Student Activity

Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Description

Clara Humble may seem like your average fourth-grader who doesn’t look before she leaps, but she has a secret: she thinks she might have superpowers. Which is convenient, because things aren’t going so well for Clara. Students from rival R. R. Reginald are moving into her school for the term, and Clara’s favorite neighbor, Momo, is moving to a faraway retirement home.

Together with her best friend, Bradley, the winsome and overconfident Clara becomes convinced that her knack for making liquids spill, overhearing her parents’ conversations, communicating with her pet chinchilla, and maybe even mind-controlling teachers could be used to put a stop to these injustices. Sure, these “powers” may not be as impressive as built-in Wi-Fi or the ability to barf data clouds—both hacks possessed by @Cat, the bionic superhero of the comic book series Clara is creating—but they’re Clara’s best bet.

Told in Clara’s clever, funny, and strikingly authentic voice, this novel kicks off a new series by inviting readers into this memorable character’s inventive mind to share in her misadventures. Annotated with Clara’s comic sketches, it’s a fast-paced read with a spot-on perspective of life as a 10-year-old that kids will surely relate to.

About the authors

ANNA HUMPHREY dreamt of being a writer since she was a teenager, and those dreams came true with the publication of her first YA novel, Mission (Un)Popular. Clara Humble and the Kitten Caboodle is the third and final book in the three-book Clara Humble series. Anna lives with her family in Kitchener, Ontario.

Anna Humphrey's profile page

LISA CINAR is an educator and the author and illustrator of two picture books, The Day It All Blew Away, nominated for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize, and Paulina P. (for Petersen). She also illustrated Bear’s Winter Party by Deborah Hodge and is the creator of Draw Me a Lion, a line of cards, prints and coloring accessories. She lives in Vancouver.

 

Lisa Cinar's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Ontario Library Association 2016 Best Bet
  • Unknown, Toronto Public Library's 2017 Summer Reading Club Recommended Read
  • Unknown, Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens

Editorial Reviews

"Clara's supposed super powers make for quite an interesting storyline. The characters are well-developed, and the story is interesting... Recommended."

Canadian Review of Materials

"Humphrey succeeds in establishing a likable heroine, a spunky comic book fan with a wild imagination... A solid start to a new series. Clara Humble proves she doesn't need superpowers to win over young readers."

School Library Journal

"Will be understood by middle school readers."

Resource Links

"Author Anna Humphrey has done a wonderful job of telling a story that many children will be able to identify with: things happen that we have no control over and we need to learn how to cope. This book is sprinkled with adorable illustrations that depict Clara's comic strip and how she sees the world around her. This book will help students know they are not alone in how they feel and what they are dealing with. Recommended."

School Library Connection

"A good antidote to the feeling most kids (and adults!) will find familiar: that the world is out of their control... A promising beginning to a new series about a spirited character who is discovering her real strengths."

Kirkus Reviews

"Beautiful and fun... A worthy addition to the growing field of doodle-illustrated middle-grade novels."

Booklist

"Humphrey's new series starring Clara Humble as a plucky young cartoonist tackles the big challenges facing kids like friendship, anger, competition, and change with honesty and humor...delightful...hilarious super hero hijinks that kids will love."

The Midwest Book Review

"A funny and touching story through which young readers may explore their own feelings of helplessness and frustration."

Canadian Children's Book News

"Subtly thought-provoking... Humphrey - and Clara - have staked out their own comic territory."

Quill & Quire

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