Pearn Kris - Project Superhero

Copyright E. Paul Zehr, 2014

Published by ECW Press

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Zehr, E. Paul, author

Project superhero / E. Paul Zehr ; illustrator, Kris Pearn.

For ages 8-12.

ISBN 978-1-77041-180-7

Also issued as 978-1-77090-591-7 (PDF) 978-1-77090-590-0 (ePUB)

I. Pearn, Kris, illustrator II. Title.

PS8649.E465P76 2014 jC813'.6 C2014-902550-5

C2014-902551-3

Editor: Patricia Ocampo

Cover design and all interior images: Kris Pearn

Interior layout and design: Rachel Ironstone

The publication of Project Superhero has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. We acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario, which last year funded 1,793 individual artists and 1,076 organizations in 232 communities across Ontario, for a total of $52.1 million. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities, and the contribution of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

For Andi, Ani, Emma, and Jordan

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

The first day of my diary.

Or first entry. Or whatever.

Grade 8 is already crazier than I imagined it would be. Thats why I started this diary to keep track of all the craziness. But I think its going to be fun. I really like writing: its like thinking out loud but in a quiet way. I think maybe Ill be an author or a journalist when I get older. Or maybe a scientist. Something where I can ask questions and get answers!

But of all the questions I have, my main one is this: why are all the homework assignments and projects coming up already? Didnt the teachers get the memo that its still only the first week of school?

I wish we were kind of easing into the year. Maybe gradually introduce some homework as we go along. Like, say, after Halloween or perhaps even later. Im very flexible on the later, just as long as it IS later. It could be as late as March break.

Lots of questions are being asked, and asked too soon, in my humble opinion. (Which I guess isnt all that humble, since I think Im right.) But seriously, this early into the year should we really have expected questions like, Who are you anyway? and Who do you want to be?

Heres an example from Socials today. Which again, just in case it was unclear, was day 1 of grade 8.

Ms. King, my friendly neighborhood homeroom supervisor and Socials teacher, was giving us some food for thought (her words).

This year we are going to explore what it means to be a hero. What characteristics do heroes have? What does it take to be a hero? Are heroes born, or are they made? Whats the difference between a hero and superhero? And why is our culture so interested in superheroes?

To which I shot up my hand and answered, Um... obviously because superheroes are way cool! I didnt say that actually, and I didnt shoot up my hand. I just thought about doing it.

I was so busy thinking about what I might have said that I almost missed the big announcement.

The big thing is this:

She called it the Superhero Slam! And guess whos into superheroes and superhero comics me! How awesome is grade 8 going to be? Really awesome... except for all the homework.

Ms. King went on for quite some time. She was in that teacher-on-a-roll mode. Shes pretty great so far, and I actually like her. But I had gone off daydreaming about superheroes. Ive read just about every superhero comic book and seen all the movies. But Ive never really thought about why I like them in the first place. And why they might be important.

I started to think about superheroes in a new way. Like I always wondered if Spider-Man would have still been a hero without his Spidey sense. And although I think hes a great character, is Batman really a superhero? He doesnt actually have any superpowers. I guess Ill get a chance to look into this in detail because we all have to choose a superhero and then argue that our superhero is the best! Cool!

Ms. King promised to tell us more about the project tomorrow.

I was still super excited when I walked home from the bus stop with my little sister, Shay. But I didnt call her little sister today. I wanted to walk home in peace. And in one piece. We go to different schools but we sometimes wind up on the same bus.

After we got home, we both went to our rooms and closed our doors for homework time. Not sure why we close the doors all the time, but we get our own space that way, I guess! Since nobody else was home, we got along fine. We try to save our sisterly fights for an appreciative audience.

Thats not to say Shay didnt try to provoke me. I finally told her about the Superhero Slam and how excited I was. All she did was give me that look that sisters give sisters when they are trying to annoy them and kind of mumbled whatever. Today I was in such a good mood I just ignored her. Then when Mom and Dad both got home from work, I didnt want to waste any time on fighting with Shay.

I was so eager to tell my parents about the Superhero Slam that I almost couldnt talk when I went running into the kitchen to give them the lowdown.

Me: Mom, Dad! SchoolwasawesometodayWehaveabigprojectthatisallaboutsuperheroesItscalledtheSuperheroSlamIcannotbelieveitSuperheroesaremythingHowcoolisthat?!