Black third grader Mia has been accepted into superhero training school so she can become a superhero like her parents. In the first three volumes of the chapter book series, Mia gets her own "supersuit," learns the difficult art of flying, and deals with losing both a race and her own shadow. The fun-filled, humorous stories are further enlivened by the abundant action-packed, comic-book-style illustrations.

In this first volume of a new chapter-book series, a little girl named Mia discovers she's a superhero.Mia Macarooney is "a total disaster machine." Everywhere she goes, chaos and mayhem follow (literally, in the case of Chaos—that's the name of her cat). Except now she's received an unusual letter, inviting her to the Program for In Training Superheroes, and she is totally bowled over. It turns out her accidents are often results of her superpowers, which she will learn to hone in her after-school hours at the PITS. As if that weren't enough of a shock, Mia's parents deliver the thrilling news that they are superheroes too! Her father is fluent in animal speech, and her mother can fly. Everything moves quickly at the PITS. Mia embarrasses herself in front of everyone during the entrance exam but ends up feeling supported and ready to learn…in the next volume. Freckled, brown-skinned, curly-fro-sporting Mia is an adorable protagonist. An overuse of exclamation points keeps the adrenaline running without a steady stream of exciting events—or even a climax and resolution—but with the large, bold type and the cute illustrations full of personality, emerging readers will be happy to read this book independently. What's more exciting than that?Transitioning readers will feel accomplished and will surely look for future volumes to see what happens in Mia's new life. (Fantasy. 5-8)

Gr 1-3 Mia Mayhem is going through her ordinary life alongside her best friend, Eddie, when she receives an unexpected letter in the mail congratulating her on her acceptance to the Program for In Training Superheroes (The PITS). Surely this has to be a joke, but when Mia tells her parents, they are not surprised in the least. They also went to PITS and are actually superheroes themselves. Mia ricochets from disbelief to excitement as she digests all this news. While her mom can fly and her dad can talk to animals, Mia has no idea what her super talent may be. Mia undergoes several preliminary tests designed to uncover her secret power, but the results are inconclusive. The headmistress, Dr. Sue Perb, tells her there's no hurry. It'll come in time. The title of the next installment in the series, Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly, gives readers a good idea as to what she'll learn next in training. Upbeat and energetic, Mia will be a reader favorite. The book's design features a very readable font and short, accessible chapters combine to make this a sound choice for beginning chapter book readers. Expressive illustrations augment the text to convey the action and emotion of the characters. VERDICT A solid choice for beginning chapter book readers. Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY