In this terrific debut, a Brooklyn middle-schooler finds the superhero within himself thanks to old friends, new dreams, and a pair of magical "Dor...
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Feb 05, 2011
MaryBookSwarm
rated it: 
I picked this book up after multiple recommendations during a Twitter Chat (#YAlitchat). Maybe my expectations were too high but I was slightly disappointed. It's not that 8th GRADE SUPERZERO is bad--not at all! Actually, it would be a great book to teach in my 8th grade class. There are tons of lessons and research that I can totally see resulting from my students reading this book.
But as a reader, I didn't want to be preached to. Which is what I felt like was happening through much More...
But as a reader, I didn't want to be preached to. Which is what I felt like was happening through much More...
May 13, 2010
Xemilyx
rated it:
The force driving the plot is Reggie McKnight's campaign for president at a progressive school in New York city. To win, he has to overcome the mental image everyone has of him throwing up on stage on the first day of school.
However, Reggie doesn't declare his campaign until page 178 of 324.
That's because the author also wanted to cover Reggie's "big brother" relationship with a troubled kindergarten kid, his community service project at a homeless shelter, his worr More...
However, Reggie doesn't declare his campaign until page 178 of 324.
That's because the author also wanted to cover Reggie's "big brother" relationship with a troubled kindergarten kid, his community service project at a homeless shelter, his worr More...
Mar 01, 2010
Anne
rated it: 
Rhuday-Perkovitch has created a delightful multicultural setting that feels authentic, not planned for best effect. Protagonist, Reggie McKnight tells his story with a strong, believable voice. He's funny, articulate, confused, compassionate, questioning, bright, perceptive, trying to fit in, wanting to stand out, seeking his own true voice. He is surrounded by good friends, caring adults, and a number of the usual suspects of middle school. Readers see deeply into Reggie's mind and spirit and
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Jul 13, 2011
Leslie
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Reginald Garvey McKnight would have preferred to begin the 8th grade school year as King of Clarke Junior School (a High Academic, Study Intensive Middle School). Instead, he fast becomes known as Pukey and is made a school-wide laughingstock. Such a reputation is not easily overcome as Reggie tries to figure out who he is and how to let the world see him for his better attributes (not his weak stomach). He isn’t the only one. 8th Grade Super Zero is ripe with characters trying to figure out wha
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Jul 27, 2009
R.j.
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. Reggie is a lovable character that readers like myself will root for, yet his doubts and mistakes -- including things like his rivalry with his sister, and his struggles to get over the embarrassing "puke" incident that's haunted him all year at school -- make him believable. The supporting characters are diverse yet none of them stock or stereotypical, and a lot of difficult issues such as homelessness, poverty, and racial tension are touched upon thoughtfu
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Dec 11, 2010
Deanna
rated it: 
Realistic fiction, father unemployed, middle school, faith/religion, homelessness, social action.
Reggie is in 8th grade and pukes in front of the entire school on the first day of school. He later ends up running for school student body president and everyone remembers him as the who puked. He is in a youth group that begins a listening ear project at a homeless shelter. There he interviews a man, George, and gets to know him. At the same time he becomes buddies with a kindergartener a More...
Reggie is in 8th grade and pukes in front of the entire school on the first day of school. He later ends up running for school student body president and everyone remembers him as the who puked. He is in a youth group that begins a listening ear project at a homeless shelter. There he interviews a man, George, and gets to know him. At the same time he becomes buddies with a kindergartener a More...
May 05, 2010
Amanda
rated it: 
I tried to read this book and got about halfway through, but couldn't make it any further. It's not that the book was badly written, or even that the story didn't have merit. At the end of the day, I just wasn't interested. Mostly I felt like I was reading an after-school special.
I'm sure there are kids out there who would enjoy this book and take something from it. As a reader though, even as a child, I wasn't so much interested in hearing about how the world is and how we might More...
I'm sure there are kids out there who would enjoy this book and take something from it. As a reader though, even as a child, I wasn't so much interested in hearing about how the world is and how we might More...
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Jun 22, 2010
W.H.
rated it:
For middle schooler Reggie McKnight, being called “Pukey” is the least of his problems. School elections are coming up, but he’s as far away from being school President as he is from shutting down his enemy Donovan or meeting up with the beautiful Mialonie. His friends Ruthie and Joe C. have his back, but let’s face it: Reggie can only be a superhero on the pages of his graphic novel, Night Man.
Then Reggie gets involved with a local homeless shelter, the Olive Branch. Haunted by two More...
Then Reggie gets involved with a local homeless shelter, the Olive Branch. Haunted by two More...
Oct 09, 2009
Audrey
rated it: 
I don't think it's hyperbole to say this is one of the best middle-grade novels I have ever read.
When people use the word ambitious, there's often a negativity lurking beneath it--that the author is to be admired for taking on so much, even if she didn't succeed.
Eighth-Grade Superzero is an ambitious book that delivers, and then some. It deals with important issues--homelessness, religion, social responsibility, family dynamics--but readers will hardly notice. They will More...
When people use the word ambitious, there's often a negativity lurking beneath it--that the author is to be admired for taking on so much, even if she didn't succeed.
Eighth-Grade Superzero is an ambitious book that delivers, and then some. It deals with important issues--homelessness, religion, social responsibility, family dynamics--but readers will hardly notice. They will More...
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Jul 12, 2010
Erin
rated it:
Reggie McKnight has been known as Pukey ever since he puked in front of the whole school on the first day of school. So when he decides to run for middle school president, he has a long way to go to get the vote. In the meantime, his church youth group started volunteering at a homeless shelter, which Reggie gets really involved in. While the book seemed kind of preachy at times, the story is light-hearted, funny, and touching and the characters felt real (if sometimes a little too mature for ei
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Jan 18, 2010
Laura
rated it:
“‘When I was little I thought God was like a superhero,’ I say, keeping my eyes down. He doesn’t respond, so I look up. ‘I wanted to be a superhero, too. Not like I wanted to be God, I mean. Just… you know. I wanted to have some kind of power that zapped everything perfect.’” (page 111. Quoted from ARC – language may change.)
That’s Reggie. He writes about a superhero called Night Man, hangs out with his intensely socially-conscious best friend Ruthie, and mostly tries to stay More...
That’s Reggie. He writes about a superhero called Night Man, hangs out with his intensely socially-conscious best friend Ruthie, and mostly tries to stay More...
Mar 20, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
I really enjoyed reading 8th Grade Superzero. I didn’t expect it to have such a positive message and for a middle grade novel it really addressed a lot of issues that are many times overlooked.
Initially I wasn’t a big Reggie fan. There was nothing particularly special about him and he seemed content with the way things were in his life. But after visiting the Olive Branch be becomes less naïve and more aware of the things happening in his community. Instead of sitting around he start More...
Initially I wasn’t a big Reggie fan. There was nothing particularly special about him and he seemed content with the way things were in his life. But after visiting the Olive Branch be becomes less naïve and more aware of the things happening in his community. Instead of sitting around he start More...
Feb 12, 2012
Liyana
rated it:
Eighth Grade Superzero is a book that's great for both MG and adult readers. Reggie was a lovable character, a typical boy trying to make his way through school with his two best friends.
His most defining moment in school was the puking incident. Reggie has the potential to be one of the most annoying characters ever written, with his beliefs and actions, but Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich wrote him in such a way so as to be irritatingly endearing instead of just plain annoying.
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His most defining moment in school was the puking incident. Reggie has the potential to be one of the most annoying characters ever written, with his beliefs and actions, but Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich wrote him in such a way so as to be irritatingly endearing instead of just plain annoying.
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Feb 12, 2012
Adriana
rated it:
Reggie otherwise known as Pukey on account of puking in front of everyone in the beginning of his 8th grade year just wants everyone to forget him. After the incident everyone always calls him Pukey especially his relentlessly cruel former friend Donovan. One day he just stopped hanging out with him, Joe C., and Ruthie. Joe C. always has a bottle of Juiced! with him which comes with random information that no one needs to know. Ruthie is what you would call an activist. She cares about everyone
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Feb 12, 2012
Becky
rated it:
Reggie McKnight and his friends are precocious eighth-graders in a public school for gifted students in Brooklyn, New York. Bearing that in mind as I read this was helpful, as some of their interests and concerns seemed much more sophisticated than the eighth-graders I've known-- or perhaps the eighth-grader I was. The characters' behavior, though, seems accurate and believable. The story centers around a school presidential election, and Reggie's involvement in it, while he attempts to rise
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Feb 12, 2012
Becky
rated it:
Ages 10-14. From the title, I was expecting quite a different book--another sad, bullied loser needing to learn to accept who he is (and somehow triumph over the bully). True, Reggie does feel "uncool" and does endure some bullying, but the story is more about a teenage boy looking beyond himself to see the needs of others. His church youth group is assigned people from a homeless shelter to interview for a project. Gradually Reggie starts volunteering there, and finds he truly cares a
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Feb 12, 2012
Marlene
rated it:
What a delightful YA read, exposing typical middle-school struggles and fears, while inspiring readers to follow Reggie McNight (aka Pukey) in taking the higher road. Reggie deals with popularity and character issues throughout, as he attempts to stay under the radar of notoriety and overcome his alias, well earned during a presentation to the Clarke school body on the first day of school. Readers will love, laugh, and relate to real-life issues and colorful characters, such as Joe C’s worthless
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Mar 21, 2011
Julie
rated it:
Reggie McKnight’s eighth-grade year started off badly with a public puking incident. Ever since, he has attempted to stay under the radar at his NYC school that emphasizes leadership and public service. Since most of the students – and the administration – seem to pay only lip service to these issues, Reggie is able to do so at first. When he gets involved with a nearby homeless shelter through his church youth group, however, his experiences there force Reggie to see beyond his troubles (hi
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May 21, 2010
Lydia
rated it:
I'm somewhat intimidated by this book. It was that good. Seriously, it was that good. Don't let the cover fool you, this book packs a big punch.
Reggie (Pukey) McKnight struggles with his 8th grade image. After a disastrous beginning in the 8th grade he begins to search for a way to change, to be someone other than "Pukey", a nickname bestowed upon him by the class bully. Sounds good, right? But then the story really digs deep.
Reggie learns about the homele More...
Reggie (Pukey) McKnight struggles with his 8th grade image. After a disastrous beginning in the 8th grade he begins to search for a way to change, to be someone other than "Pukey", a nickname bestowed upon him by the class bully. Sounds good, right? But then the story really digs deep.
Reggie learns about the homele More...
Apr 20, 2010
Sandra
rated it:
As a middle school teacher I believe "8th Grade Superzero" is a book all middle school students should read. It really fits in with our population. We are an IB school and we have social service days every year as a requirement of our curriculum. Many of our students don't see how they fit in with this or why it is necessary. I think this book is a good demonstration of the whys and hows.
Reggie McKnight's claim to fame came the day he puked all over the principal' More...
Reggie McKnight's claim to fame came the day he puked all over the principal' More...
Jul 02, 2010
Erin
rated it:
This is a book with heart and soul! At the beginning of the book, the main character, Reggie, is a seemingly average eighth grade boy who's just trying to make it through the year without drawing too much attention to himself. Too much *more* attention, that is. On the first day of school, during their opening assembly, Reggie had been selected to recite the school pledge on stage. Instead, he ended up puking all over the principal's shoes...in front of the whole school. Now his nickname is
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Apr 28, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Imagine if you began the academic year by throwing up in front of the whole school when you were supposed to be reciting the school pledge. This is how Reggie McKnight begins his 8th grade year and needless to say, he is greeted with cries of "Pukey" wherever he goes in Clarke Junior School ( a NYC public school that seems to house K-8 students). The son of Jamaican immigrants, Reggie is feeling stress from all corners. His dad was recently laid off, his mom is working long hours, a
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Apr 28, 2011
Megan
rated it:
Reggie mostly just wants to make it through the day without being called "Pukey". (The reason for that nickname isn't revealed until about 2/3 through the book.) He also wants to somehow make a difference in his school. He becomes Vicky's campaign manager as she runs for school president, but quickly realizes she's only interested in promoting herslef. Meanwhile, Reggie begins volunteering with his youth group at a local homeless shelter and also becomes a Big Buddy to a new kinder
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Jul 07, 2010
Steph Su
rated it:
EIGHTH-GRADE SUPERZERO combines quality elements of literature into an incredible feel-good read. The varied cast of characters will win you over despite an oftentimes slow plot.
Reggie and his friends are eighth graders, but readers of all ages can easily relate to their interactions and the issues they face. Reggie is a sympathetic self-labeled underdog who never feels secondary to us: he is bullied, but he also has an inner strength that we can recognize even if he cannot yet. Regg More...
Reggie and his friends are eighth graders, but readers of all ages can easily relate to their interactions and the issues they face. Reggie is a sympathetic self-labeled underdog who never feels secondary to us: he is bullied, but he also has an inner strength that we can recognize even if he cannot yet. Regg More...
Mar 21, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Reggie would like nothing more than to spend all of his time with his best friend, Joe C., working on Night Man, their super-hero comic. The story ideas are all Reggie's and the artwork is Joe's. They are sure it's going to be spectacular.
Something always seems to interfere with Reggie's plans. He somehow gets roped into acting as campaign manager for one of the most annoying girls at school. Vicky More...
Reggie would like nothing more than to spend all of his time with his best friend, Joe C., working on Night Man, their super-hero comic. The story ideas are all Reggie's and the artwork is Joe's. They are sure it's going to be spectacular.
Something always seems to interfere with Reggie's plans. He somehow gets roped into acting as campaign manager for one of the most annoying girls at school. Vicky More...
Feb 09, 2010
Catherine
rated it:
The author is patron of mine at the Central Youth Wing. When her daughter was a toddler, she was kind of a fan of yours truly. I knew that her mother was working on a YA book, but imagine my surprise when she came in and put this in my hands! The woman I had always thought of as nicer than nice can be was hiding a secret (superhero-like?) identity of her own: what a wit she is! This was a highly-entertaining, Brooklyn-based read. When it is released, read it!
Feb 12, 2012
Taliah
rated it:
Reggie needs a new image. Most of his classmates call him "Pukey" in response to him puking on the stage on the first day of school. As you can imagine this has made him popular in an unwanted way. Elections for school president is coming up and Reggie decides to help a classmate with her campaign. He's also active with his church's youth group and coordinates the Listening Ears project at a homeless shelter. He becomes a Big Brother mentor and begins volunteering at the shelter a
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Jan 19, 2011
Anna
rated it:
When you're known as the guy that puked in front of everybody on the first day of school, the last thing you want is to be noticed. But Reggie's work at a local homeless shelter spurs him to do more and to encourage his classmates to do the same. The author does a nice job of representing a middle schooler's realistic responses to themes of justice, faith and family.
Sep 29, 2010
Kelly
rated it:
Reggie, a Jamaican-American eighth grader in Brooklyn, New York, doesn’t realize how awesome he is: he’s a big brother to a homeless boy (and wears Dora the Explorer sneakers to show his support), volunteers at a homeless shelter, is an active member in his youth group, and even tries to get along with his impossible older sister. He’s tired of the way things just don’t get done around his school and decides to run for student council president, against his popular former best friend. Filled c
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Mar 21, 2010
Shadra
rated it:
Reggie's story didn't grab me right away. As I continued to read I became more and more excited about the transformation that he experienced. I found myself not wanting to put the book down, but not wanting to rush to the conclusion. I want to gift this book to every young person I know so that they can see that courage, change, and heroism can come from the most unexpected places...within.
Kudos to Olugbemisola for gifting this story to us all as a reminder of the most important thin More...
Kudos to Olugbemisola for gifting this story to us all as a reminder of the most important thin More...
