Black - (My Alter Ego Is a Superhero) by Håkon Øvreås (Hardcover)

About the Book

When Jack's plan to become famous goes awry, he and his faithful companions' superhero alter egos come to the rescue.

Book Synopsis

Jack's plan to impress the new girl in town goes hilariously wrong in this companion novel to Batchelder-winning Brown, illustrated by outstanding Norwegian cartoonist Øyvind Torseter.

The trio of friends from Batchelder-winnning Brown is back, this time following the adventures of Jack. When a new girl moves to town, Jack is determined to impress and befriend her. The only problem? Her mom's supposedly a famous singer, and she'll only stick around if she can find some celebrity friends. So Jack hatches a plan to land himself in the newspaper: he's going to rescue the chairman's prize-winning hen. Of course, that means he has to "borrow" it first. But when the "borrowed" hen then goes missing, Jack finds himself in some serious trouble. He's going to need some superhero help to find the missing hen and set things right.

Enter Black--Jack's superhero alter ego--to the rescue! Along with his faithful companions Brown and Blue, of course. While Brown and Blue might not completely understand what has happened or why they're involved, neither does Jack, really. But they're ready for action and raring to go! An endearing and playful middle grade book about friendship, fame, and fun.

The second book in Håkon Øvreås' award-winning My Alter Ego Is A Superhero trilogy, Black can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. Black is illustrated throughout by one of Norway's greatest cartoonist, Øyvind Torseter.

Review Quotes

"Øvreås follows up his Batchelder Award-winning Brown (2019), originally published in Norway, with a similarly poker-faced middle volume. More proof that Wimpy Kid-style hijinks are just as droll in translation."--Kirkus Reviews

"Jack's story is quirky, well-paced and fun, and the deadpan humour and seemingly unfinished illustrations will have you in stitches (we were laughing so hard at one point that we were crying). A perfect chapter book for emerging and reluctant readers."--Maureen Tai, Stories that Stay with Us

About the Author

A published poet, with several books to his name, Håkon Øvreås made his debut into the world of youth literature in 2013 with Brown. The first book in middle grade series My Alter Ego Is a Superhero, Brown received the Norwegian Ministry of Culture's Literature Prize for Best Children's and Young Adult Book in 2013, the Dutch Silver Pencil in 2015, and the 2020 ALA Batchelder Award.

Øyvind Torseter is a Norwegian artist and illustrator. He's received numerous awards for his books, including a Bologna Ragazzi Award and the Norwegian Book Art Prize. In 2014, Øyvind was a finalist for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. His books have been translated into several languages, with seven already published by Enchanted Lion. He lives and works in Oslo.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kari Dickson grew up bilingually, as her mother is Norwegian and her grandparents could not speak English. She holds a B.A. in Scandinavian studies and an M.A. in translation. She is the translator of several books from Norwegian with Enchanted Lion, including Batchelder Award winner Brown and Batchelder Honor books My Father's Arms Are a Boat and The Most Beautiful Story.