5 Dazzling Books Featuring Kids with Superpowers

Zacktastic, by Courtney Sheinmel
The perfect book for any kid who grapples with fears—especially the fear of being ordinary. It is Zack Cooley’s tenth birthday, and his twin sister is the one with all the friends at their party. But then Zack’s uncle breaks the news that Zack is next in line in the family’s genie business, and Zack is whisked away on his first assignment. Wish granting isn’t as easy as it sounds, and when Zack makes a small error in judgment resulting in a big problem, he needs to muster all his courage to set things right and get back home. 

The Shrunken Head (Curiosity House Series #1), by Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester
A mystery wrapped in an adventure folded into a story about weirdness, wonder, and the power of unlikely friendships. Four extraordinary children, Sam, Thomas, Pippa, and Max, each have their own superpower and they live in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders alongside a varied cast of colorful characters like Goldini, the struggling magician, and Smalls, the resident giant and an aspiring poet. But when the museum appears to be cursed, they must come to its rescue.

The Day I Lost My Superpowers, by Michael Escoffier and Kris Di Giacomo
This adorable picture book with dynamic illustrations shows that with a little imagination, we’re all superheroes. Our spunky and spirited protagonist starts “practicing nonstop” to develop her own superpowers after realizing she can “fly” (after her parents throw her up into the air). She makes things disappear (like a cupcake) although somehow the magic doesn’t always work (like with peas). Topped off with a very sweet ending that any parent will love, this book concludes with a magic kiss from mom, the real superhero of the story.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
What do you do when you don’t have your own superpowers? Well, if you’re best friends George Beard and Harold Hutchins, you create a superhero who does! Hence the invention of Captain Underpants, who has what else but…wedgie power! Fourth grade pranksters George and Herold create their own personal superhero in the first book in this mega bestselling series by Dav Pilkey. This chapter book is laugh out loud funny (particularly if you happen to be a fourth grader) and a lightening fast read, with comics interspersed throughout that will help draw in and encourage even the most reluctant reader. Which is perhaps its greatest superpower of all.
Who are your favorite superheroes of children’s literature?