101 Things to Do to Become a Superhero or Evil Genius

 101 Things to Do to Become a Superhero by Helen Szirtes and Richard Horne, designed and illustrated by Richard Horne (Bloomsbury)

PB RRP $15.99

ISBN 978 1 4088 0257 1

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

From the series of '101Things', Horne and Szirtes team up again to tackle the topic of how to become either a superhero, or an evil genius, or both. Written with a humour that upper primary boys or girls should appreciate, this book is packed full with information, checklists, activities and stars to stick on the pages completed.

Visually breaking the book up each page has a different coloured header relating to its theme. For example identity is blue, saving the world is green and special powers are brown. The left side of the double page has a small picture with information underneath. The reader then fills out the right side by doing some sort of activity. Activities range from trying to fly (nothing dangerous), to perfecting one's evil laugh. The densely filled pages contain many hours of entertainment should the entire book be completed.

The print is quite small but is broken up further by headings and dot points and always relates to something to do on the next page. In this way less keen readers may be encouraged to keep going. Pages jump from one topic to another and one activity to another. There is no need to read the book in any order, although there is an introduction at the beginning and some answers at the end (no cheating).

101 Things to Do to Become a Superhero or Evil Genius is a very interactive book which encourages imagination and uses humour well. By the end of the book the reader will have unintentionally learnt a few things. And this is regardless of whether they have used it for good or for evil.