Ollie and His Superpowers - Hardcover

Knowles, Alison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1785920499 ISBN 13: 9781785920493

Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016

Synopsis

"Your superpowers are real, not make believe."

When seven-year-old Ollie's brand new trainers get stolen by bullies, he feels too scared and embarrassed to tell his mum. Luckily, Ollie's friend Mr Wilcox knows how to keep a secret. Once Ollie confides in Mr Wilcox about the shoes, Mr Wilcox decides to let him in on a secret of his own... He has superpowers, and Ollie can have them too! Meet Courage, Bravery, Strength and Calm - just a few of Ollie's very own superpowers. Under the guidance of Mr Wilcox, Ollie learns that he can control his superpowers in order to overcome his fears, starting with those bullies.

About this title

About the Author

Alison Knowles is a licensed therapist and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner. She leads training days for NHS staff on stress and motivation and creates self-help videos for the clients of an international health and wellbeing company.

Reviews

Gr 1–4—This British import, written by a cognitive therapist, is centered on seven-year-old Ollie, who faces daily bullying from kids at school. After two larger boys take his sneakers (called "trainers"—just one of the many Briticisms throughout), the distraught Ollie confides in an elderly friend, who encourages him to use his superpowers (his emotions) to deal with the problem. Soon enough, Ollie is able to call upon Bravery, Strength, and Calm to help him get his sneakers back—much to the surprise of the bullies. Throughout the book, the emotions are personified as little versions of ourselves that live within us. Nervousness, Shock, Silliness, and Confidence are just a few of the ones readers meet. Helping us control our emotions is the Captain. Meanwhile, our Librarian (bow-tied and bespectacled) works at night to keep our ideas sorted properly. While this book attempts to help children understand and deal with their emotions, it lacks the plot and charm of Pixar's similarly structured Inside Out. VERDICT A purposeful work that children are unlikely to self-select. Consider only where social skill building and antibullying topics are needed.—Marie Drucker, Malverne Public Library, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1785920499
• ISBN 13: 9781785920493
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Wiltshire Sophie
• Number of pages: 32