Hidden Talents

I read this book when I was younger and it is still one of my favorites, to the point I still remember the author’s name. It’s kind of low reading level wise but the concept is strong and overall good quality. I was so excited when the sequel came out. If you like superpowered characters that don’t fight crime but are human this is a great book. Main characters are probably around middle school age if I remember correctly.

I mostly know Lubar from his collections of campfire stories and middle school"horror" stories. I like them because I think they are more creative and better written than the general run of Goosebumps-type tales. But, I didn't know what to expect from this outing. Well, Lubar maintains his standing as a better than average writer, with plots, phrasing, dialogue and scene setting of a much higher caliber than is usually encountered. There are still psycho bullies and clueless adults, but I don't know if anyone can avoid those staples of youth lit. The most surprising aspect of the book, though, is the unusually high level of character development invested in not only our hero Martin, but also in each of the supporting characters. The result is that you get a good story with dramatic tension, some fairly memorable characters, and some interesting food for thought about how we perceive and type people. I can see why this has become a very popular class discussion novel. The ideas are manageable but sophisticated, and would encourage thoughtful middle grade readers to learn how to gain insight from fiction reading. What more could we ask for?

This book I read years ago and had faint memories of the story. This was a major plus because I got the chance to enjoy it again for the first time. Highly recommend the sequel.

I read this book when I was in middle school. It definitely sparked my love for reading and I shared it with friends who also fell in love with it. Now I've purchased it for my own daughter to read.

I picked up this book off an online recommendation from the maximum ride series. (My favorite book series ever) and this did not fail to live up to what I thought it would be my only regret is I couldnt read more lol it's a really good book

Good series.

It wasn't what I expected. I got bored, but realized it is for younger children.I gave it to my grandchildren.

One of my daughter’s favorite books. I bought it for a student who just didn’t seem to fit in to the class.