Batgirl at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee Series: DC Super Hero Girls #3
Also in this series: Supergirl at Super Hero High
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on 1/3/17
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Pages: 240
Source: The Publisher
My content rating: Middle Grade (Some minor comic book violence)
My rating:
Get your cape on with the DC Super Hero Girls the unprecedented new Super Hero universe especially for girls! Readers of all ages can fly high with the all-new adventures of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, and some of the world s most iconic female super heroes as high schoolers!
Batgirl has always hidden in the shadows but does she have what it takes to stand in the spotlight at Super Hero High? Barbara Gordon has always been an off-the-charts, just-forget-about-the-test super-genius and tech whiz, and then she gets the offer of a lifetime when Supergirl recognizes that Barbara s talents make her an ideal candidate for Super Hero High. Donning the cape and cowl, Barbara Gordon becomes Batgirl, ready to train at the most elite school on the planet, next to some of the most powerful teenagers in the galaxy. She s always had the heart of a hero . . . but now she'll have to prove that she can be one. Good thing she loves a challenge!
Award-winning author Lisa Yee brings mystery, thrills, and laughs to this groundbreaking series that follows DC Comics most iconic female Super Heroes and Super-Villains. Move over Batman and Superman the DC Super Hero Girls are ready to save the day and have fun doing it!
Praise for DC Super Hero Girls: Sure to have wide appeal, this book is a solid option to balance collections saturated with male superheroes. - School Library Journal"
These books are so incredibly adorable and fun. My daughter loves the high school take on superheroes, and I have to admit that I kind of love them too.
What Fed My Addiction:
- Girl genius. Unlike most of the other super heroes, Batgirl is just an ordinary girl—with extraordinary smarts. Her tech savvy makes her special and it gives her an edge that the other supers don’t have.
- A sense of belonging. Batgirl has doubts about her ability to fit in at Super Hero High even though she has friends there. She doesn’t know if she can be a “real” super hero since she doesn’t have any innate abilities. She can’t keep up with the other students in a lot of areas (especially gym, where there are some pretty high expectations of super heroes!). She has to learn to rely on and trust her strengths and not worry so much about her weaknesses. It’s a tough lesson that’s not easily learned.
- Family troubles. Batgirl isn’t the only person who’s afraid that she might not be cut out for Super Hero High. She has a bit of an uphill battle because she has to convince her dad that she belongs there too. He just wants to keep her safe because he’s afraid to lose her, but she wants to follow in his footsteps and fight crime. I loved the close relationship between Barbara (Batgirl) and her dad.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
- Competition. My least favorite part of the book was the competition and how it all played out. Batgirl’s logic when it came to her feelings about the results didn’t make a lot of sense to me (I won’t say what it was since that would be a spoiler). But the competition and the results became central to the rest of the book, so it all ended up being necessary for the plot. (There were a couple of other minor inconsistencies, but I often give those a little more leeway in MG books. My daughter didn’t seem to see any lapses in logic.)
Overall, I thought this was another fun installment of a fantastic series for MG girls. My daughter and I will definitely be keeping up with it!
I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
About the Author:
Lisa Yee’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. With over two million books in print, her other novels for young people include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, So Totally Emily Ebers, Absolutely Maybe, and a series about a 4th grader,Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes).
Lisa is also the author of American Girl’s Kanani books and Good Luck, Ivy, and this year’s Lea Clark novels. Her novel, Warp Speed, is about a Star Trek geek who gets beat up everyday at school. A Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence, Lisa’s books have been named a NPR Best Summer Read, Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and USA Today Critics’ Top Pick.
The Kidney Hypothetical – Or How To Ruin Your Life In Seven Days is Lisa’s latest novel for teens. Lisa’s 2016 books include the DC Super Hero Girls middle grade novel series and the American Girl, 2016 Girl of the Year books.
I’m so glad you and your daughter are enjoying these! I read the first one and really loved it. I still need to get to the second and third. 🙂
-Lauren
I actually still need to get the first one. 🙂
I really like it when the girls are the main characters and have a life that doesn’t revolve around a boy. Books like this one inspire and encourage young girls to believe in their own strengths and think of themselves as capable of doing things that boys typically do. Thanks for the book, Lisa, and thanks for the great review Nicole.
Yes! These books have a TINY hint at a possible future romance for one of the girls, but it’s pretty miniscule–not the focus of the books at all.
oh I’m sure my daughter will love these books when she gets to middle school! Girl Power!!!
Love ordinary girls with extraordinary smarts especially nerdy geeks 🙂
These are really cute and fun!