Kid Normal and the Rogue Heroes follows the continuing adventures of Kid Normal and his not-as-normal super-powered friends. Using the word “super” for their powers may be a bit of a stretch, at least by the standards of other characters who consider Normal and his friends to be, well, less that heroic. This is a story of a misfit group, and it will speak strongly to any kid who feels left out, different, or like they don’t always measure up. In other words, it should speak to pretty much every kid who ever wandered the halls of an elementary school.

The adventures that Kid Normal and his friends face are at the same time exciting and humorous, and the authors’ writing style is clever and filled with witty banter. As clever as the humor is, that is not what brings a smile to the reader’s face. The heart of the story is found in the heart of the characters and their genuine care for one another. Though the story is mostly light-hearted, it also teaches some deep lessons about acceptance and about being true to what you believe in. This is, at its core, a super hero story, and we’re reminded that heroism sometimes involves making the hard choices because they are the right choices.

This is a fun read for children, and parents can be confident that it is an edifying read for their young readers.
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 mild obscenity.

Violence/Gore:  A few verbal threats; characters threaten each other with guns; a scene of comic violence; comic illustration of an animal kicking a person; a few reports of past fights; a character in a story told in the book was killed by acid; a character mildly injures himself while cooking; characters cause property damage with guns; a character knocks another character out; a few scenes of fantasy violence (super powers, blades, guns, etc.); extended description of a past battle in which people were badly injured or killed (12 pages, not bloody); a few buildings are destroyed by explosions; a vehicle crashes without serious injury; major property damage is done to a building.

Sex/Nudity:  A boy tries to avoid talking about the subject of girls with his mom; a boy is nervous around a girl; characters hold hands a few times; a man and wife put their arms around each other in a comforting manner (illustrated); a man holds his wife comfortingly and caresses her cheek.

Mature Subject Matter:

Bullying.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None