Secret Supers

What Happens When 'Differently-Abled' People Become 'Super-Abled'?

By: Mr. Andy Zach

Narrated by: Luke Castle

Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

Jeremy Gentle fell flat on his face at therapy. That was normal since he had cerebral palsy. But his new superpower wasn't normal. Then, things got weirder when his best friend Dan Elanga got a different superpower. But Dan was still blind. 

Kayla Verdera and Aubrey Wilcosky, two girls in their middle-school special ed class, discovered they too had new superpowers. Kayla was mute and needed a walker. Aubrey lost two legs and used crutches. But they were as powerful as the boys. What should the four friends do? 

Jeremy knew if the word got out, it'd be a media circus. Then, they started fighting crime as the Secret Supers. Who knew a disability could be a perfect disguise? No one would ever think of disabled kids as superheroes. But they ran into problems they never expected.

©2019 Jeffry J. Smith (P)2019 Jeffry J. Smith

This book was so cute!

Let me just say I love this narrator a.m. invoice went perfectly with the story. This book is about disabled people getting super powers and I thought it was awesome. This is a great book for those with disabilities and older children without disabilities. I think we all imagine what it would be like to have superpowers and then this book will find out what these kids do with their super powers.
I am blind and in this book they call handicap people differently abled and to that’s ridiculous. I went blind 25 years ago and Theyve changed the disabled four differently abled and I know it’s people Who are not handicapped coming up with these ridiculous title and I really believe they are overthinking it it’s not that serious

Everyone can be brave and heroic

I love that someone is writing fun superstories in which disabled and differently abled kids can see themselves as potentially brave and heroic. The story doesn’t just show them doing impossible things that fully abled people can’t even do; it shows them using their heads to solve problems and cooperating together to use their different gifts to change the world for the better. And it’s well told, with a youthful sounding narrator that highlights the 12-13 years of the characters.

I received this free audiobook and voluntarily left this honest review.

Fun for Young Readers

In a straightforward plot/storyline that won't be confused with SciFi, 4 disabled kids become "enabled," even Super! They are good kids with good intentions and they do the right thing. The parents are all involved, and the community is a middle-class ideal. A sweet read/listen for the suggested reader age range of 10-15.

A cool middle grade story about handicapped superheroes

Secret Supers is a really cool middle grade story about a bunch of handicapped kids that gain superpowers. The story is written for a younger audience, so it might not appeal to older readers, but I bet kids will really enjoy it, and it is wonderful to see the kids in the story empowered.

The narrator takes a bit of getting used to. He uses a rather nasally voice for one of the main characters that can be hard to listen to. But he is pretty good at character voices, and he grew on me as the book progressed. Unfortunately there is a bit of background noise in the recording which can be distracting.

I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobookworm Promotions. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Fun MG fiction

Mr Andy Zach has crafted a fun story of different-able kids becoming superheroes.

I don’t read much MG fiction, but it was a nice light read. It did feel at times that everything was too easily overcome and the kids only wear super suits once.

It was also interesting to hear what sounded like a middle grade student as the narrator. This had pros and cons for me. It worked for the kids, but some of his adult voices...

Overall, worth a listen, fun story, and likable characters.

Secret Supers

This was a good book.In it anyone can be a super hero! Luke Castle was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Great story, not so great narration

There’s so much awesome stuff happening in this book! I really enjoyed the story, especially the backbone of it. Each of these kids (Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey) has their own disability and when Jeremy stumbles upon a way to give each of them a super power, they still have to deal with real life. The super power doesn’t take away or negate their disability but it does give them an edge. Plus, they learn to work together as team, using their individual powers to boost each other. Just a fantastic premise for a story.

The story is definitely geared towards kids, as the plot is pretty straight forward and there’s little conflict among the characters. Our heroes already have a fight on their hands – just being accepted in regular society. In fact, the big hurdle in the book deals with that at their public school. I really liked how they pulled together to tackle the problem and how their efforts pulled in their friends, family, and community.

The end leaves us on a triumphant note as well as hinting as more to come. I hope this is just the start of a series. I think Jeremy needs to keep a close eye on his pet hamster. I kinda hope that hamster becomes the master mind. Ha! 5/5 stars.

The Narration: Luke Castle gets an A for effort but a C for product. Castle had a perfect voice for Jeremy, capturing the character’s young earnest voice. Castle’s female character voices need more femininity. Many of them sounded very cartoony. I appreciate Castle’s attempts at regional and foreign accents, but they were hit and miss or way over done (like the Georgia peach and the California valley girl). The pacing was a bit off too, often with long pauses in between chapters (at first, I thought my player had stalled). Castle does a good job capturing the various emotions of the characters. Other than the long pauses in between the chapters, there were no technical issues with the recording. 2.5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Andy Zach. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

An inspiring, entertaining and happy storty

This is a story filled with joy an overcoming obstacles. in these dark times an uplifting tale is needed with the the human spirit meeting the challenges of life with positive mind set and a bit of hard work. The fact that these children are "supers" in this story does not diminish the lesson it teaches. A must listen for young folks and their parents.

Great book for the kids.

Pretty good Audiobook for the younger kids. My son thought he'd like to have Super Powers now too.

Uplifting

Secret Supers is such a fun story, and it has a great message. I listened with my mid-grade kiddos, one boy and one girl, and they both enjoyed the story. The target audience may be mid-grade kids, but this is the type of story that is entertaining for both kids and adults.
This book is fast-paced and just loads of fun from start to finish, and it has such a positive vibe. The kids each have a different disability, and those disabilities are handled honestly while still keeping an upbeat vibe. I love how their individual super powers gave them what they needed, and the four together complimented each other so well. The kids are all lovable and quirky, and you can’t help but root for their successes and smile when they do succeed.
It’s interesting that the story is narrated by a teenager. In fact, my kiddos noticed it right away and commented about it. It gave them a whole new appreciation for audiobooks, and they’ll both be looking for more stories narrated by Luke Castle. This young man really seems to enjoy himself as he narrates this book, and that certainly comes through. For me, some of the voices were maybe a little over the top, but my tweens had no complaints, and since this is a mid-grade story, I would say that’s the most important thing. They were thoroughly entertained by both Andy Zach’s story and Luke Castle’s performance, and I have to say that the two do go well together.
All in all, Andy Zach has done a terrific job with this book. The story and its characters are a positive force in a world that is all too often focused on the negative, and it all comes together for one entertaining and uplifting listen for kids of all ages.