What do you think?
Rate this book
Mia Mayhem #2
Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly!
In this second adventure of the brand-new Mia Mayhem chapter book series, Mia learns to fly!
When Mia gets placed in a beginner’s flying class with kindergarteners, she struggles and is ready to give up! But luckily, with help from her best friend, Eddie, and the superschool’s most talented flier, Mia finally learns how to get off the ground.
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Mia Mayhem chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
When Mia gets placed in a beginner’s flying class with kindergarteners, she struggles and is ready to give up! But luckily, with help from her best friend, Eddie, and the superschool’s most talented flier, Mia finally learns how to get off the ground.
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Mia Mayhem chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
128 pages, Hardcover
Published December 18, 2018
43 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 16, 2019
We first met Mia in Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! when she learned she was a superhero and was going to the PITS - the Program for In Training Superheroes.
Mia has already learned the quick-superhero-change trick but now she needs to learn to fly, which sounds incredible but Mia is afraid of heights. I’d expected this book to focus on Mia’s fear and learning to overcome it but it seemed a bit too easy for me. She is distracted by mayhem when she’s flying and has help from an advanced flyer so that helped.
The kids who read this series most likely haven’t come across all of the superhero tropes before but I couldn’t help rolling my eyes when Mia’s best friend doesn’t recognise her because she’s wearing her superhero suit. I guess if it works for Batman and Superman then there’s no reason it shouldn’t work for Mia though.
Mia does learn about teamwork in this book and it’s lovely to see friends helping one another.
I’m definitely not the target audience for this series so I’m not sure how much my opinion counts but after really enjoying the first book in the series I’m not as keen to keep reading them. I might be expecting too much. For kids around this age group I much preferred Ailsa Wild’s Squishy Taylor series. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.
Mia has already learned the quick-superhero-change trick but now she needs to learn to fly, which sounds incredible but Mia is afraid of heights. I’d expected this book to focus on Mia’s fear and learning to overcome it but it seemed a bit too easy for me. She is distracted by mayhem when she’s flying and has help from an advanced flyer so that helped.
The kids who read this series most likely haven’t come across all of the superhero tropes before but I couldn’t help rolling my eyes when Mia’s best friend doesn’t recognise her because she’s wearing her superhero suit. I guess if it works for Batman and Superman then there’s no reason it shouldn’t work for Mia though.
Mia does learn about teamwork in this book and it’s lovely to see friends helping one another.
I’m definitely not the target audience for this series so I’m not sure how much my opinion counts but after really enjoying the first book in the series I’m not as keen to keep reading them. I might be expecting too much. For kids around this age group I much preferred Ailsa Wild’s Squishy Taylor series. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.
August 7, 2021
This is a cute, fun series and one of my eight-year-old son’s current favorites! It’s kind of an X-Men meets “The Incredibles” with a hint of Harry Potter. Mia gets a letter in the mail informing her she is a superhero – which explains why so many odd things keep happening to her and why she causes so much mayhem without meaning to – and her parents are also superheroes! Mia is enrolled in the Program for In Training Superheroes (aka the PITS) and begins to learn various superhero skills. She goes to the PITS after her regular school gets out and the only non-superhero to know her secret is her best friend, Eddie, who is really into building things like cool robots. I like that this series presents a lot of the fun and excitement that comes with superhero stories without the “bad guys” storylines. The obstacles to overcome are more suitable for these early elementary readers, nothing evil or sinister. The illustration style is a lot of fun, with comic-book elements like the “ARGH!” or “WOW!” or “BAM!” :-) I also appreciate that the cast is really diverse, and some of the super kids are kids with special needs, one girl has prosthetic legs, another boy is blind and has a seeing eye dog sidekick. We started with the first book in the series (which wasn’t actually my favorite) and have read them somewhat out of order, so here is my breakdown so far:
Mia Mayhem is a Super Hero: Yes, begin with this one as it sets up the series, and I appreciate that Mia wasn’t good at everything right away but I kind of wish that the kid who rescued her in her failed flying attempt wasn’t a boy… it just felt a bit “old fashioned” to me.
Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly: I liked this one better than Book 1
Mia Mayhem Stops Time: My son read this about three times, so take his word for it, not mine. (I found the time travel and stopping time stuff really irritating (but I tend to feel that way about time travel) and the mom in me wanted Mia to have stronger consequences for messing with it.)
Mia Mayhem Steals the Show: I love theater, so this was a lot of fun for me. It focuses more on events at Mia’s regular school (not the PITS). Even a superhero can get stage fright, and I like that her heroic efforts don’t require superpowers, it’s good role modeling for real world kids.
Mia Mayhem and the Super Family Field Day: Super fun! This is one of my favorites, and my son’s favorites, too. It’s nice to see all the families engaged in friendly competition and Mia learns an important lesson about good sportsmanship.
Mia Mayhem and the Super Switcheroo: Super implausible, but, hey, it was fun and I enjoy Eddie so it was nice seeing him more and that he got a chance to be a superhero, too, for a while.
Mia Mayhem Rides the Waves: This one focuses on more everyday life scenarios for Mia, what it’s like to be a superhero when you aren’t “being” a superhero. She helps clean up a beach and I appreciate the emphasis on being an “everyday hero” and the positive role modeling for kids reading the book.
Mia Mayhem is a Super Hero: Yes, begin with this one as it sets up the series, and I appreciate that Mia wasn’t good at everything right away but I kind of wish that the kid who rescued her in her failed flying attempt wasn’t a boy… it just felt a bit “old fashioned” to me.
Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly: I liked this one better than Book 1
Mia Mayhem Stops Time: My son read this about three times, so take his word for it, not mine. (I found the time travel and stopping time stuff really irritating (but I tend to feel that way about time travel) and the mom in me wanted Mia to have stronger consequences for messing with it.)
Mia Mayhem Steals the Show: I love theater, so this was a lot of fun for me. It focuses more on events at Mia’s regular school (not the PITS). Even a superhero can get stage fright, and I like that her heroic efforts don’t require superpowers, it’s good role modeling for real world kids.
Mia Mayhem and the Super Family Field Day: Super fun! This is one of my favorites, and my son’s favorites, too. It’s nice to see all the families engaged in friendly competition and Mia learns an important lesson about good sportsmanship.
Mia Mayhem and the Super Switcheroo: Super implausible, but, hey, it was fun and I enjoy Eddie so it was nice seeing him more and that he got a chance to be a superhero, too, for a while.
Mia Mayhem Rides the Waves: This one focuses on more everyday life scenarios for Mia, what it’s like to be a superhero when you aren’t “being” a superhero. She helps clean up a beach and I appreciate the emphasis on being an “everyday hero” and the positive role modeling for kids reading the book.
March 31, 2023
Cute continuation of Mia Mayhem's new adventures. She is learning to control her new powers and the importance of team work. I wonder if Penn Power will remain a secondary character, because I want to see his growth also. 😊
November 20, 2022
I bought the first Mia Mayhem books from the series for my seven-year-old granddaughter for Christmas and I thought I would read them all before they get wrapped up and sent off. I’ll be anxious to see what she thinks of them, but will give my thoughts on them here.
First off, my granddaughter is a fan of superheroes, so I think she’ll have fun reading about Mia and her adventures.
I like that Mia is an ordinary young girl who makes mistakes. She accidentally breaks things, struggles with self-confidence, and loses things. Mia recognizes when she has made a mess and works to set tidy up the situation. She doesn’t always succeed the first time. But she persists and learns how to be calm and think. In the end she reflects on her struggles, sees what she has accomplished, and learns that she can be successful when she sets her mind to it
I like that the cast of characters is representative of a multicultural society. Both males and females, young and old, and racially diverse; a handicapped girl is even included. Mia has a friend when we meet her in the first book and she makes friends (Penn Powers and Allie Oomph) in the chapters that follow.
I found the names of some of characters to be quite entertaining: Dr. Su Perb, Professor Stu Pendus, Professor Dina Myte, Allie Oomph, Dr. Dash, Hugo Fast and a cat name Chaos.
The illustrations are great and really add to the story.
First off, my granddaughter is a fan of superheroes, so I think she’ll have fun reading about Mia and her adventures.
I like that Mia is an ordinary young girl who makes mistakes. She accidentally breaks things, struggles with self-confidence, and loses things. Mia recognizes when she has made a mess and works to set tidy up the situation. She doesn’t always succeed the first time. But she persists and learns how to be calm and think. In the end she reflects on her struggles, sees what she has accomplished, and learns that she can be successful when she sets her mind to it
I like that the cast of characters is representative of a multicultural society. Both males and females, young and old, and racially diverse; a handicapped girl is even included. Mia has a friend when we meet her in the first book and she makes friends (Penn Powers and Allie Oomph) in the chapters that follow.
I found the names of some of characters to be quite entertaining: Dr. Su Perb, Professor Stu Pendus, Professor Dina Myte, Allie Oomph, Dr. Dash, Hugo Fast and a cat name Chaos.
The illustrations are great and really add to the story.
December 21, 2023
I read this book to my youngest daughter and it was a great book! I think if I was judging purely on her account it would be a 4 star book, but I had to keep in perspective it's my review and not hers. That said a lot of great life lessons are introduced in a way in which it helps kids build the right conscience and make the right choices...even in less than ideal situations. But don't get me know, this (to me) doesn't come off preachy but naturally in the story. I highly recommend it for ages 7-10. I think whoever reads it will enjoy the ride.
February 17, 2020
Cute story about young superhero, Mia Mayhem. By day she's a normal kid, by afternoon, she attends superhero school. Her superhero dad works as very for his "undercover" life. One day all the dogs for the Dog Show get lose and follow Mia to superhero school, now she and her friends have to retrieve them before the competition.
Written for first and second graders. I think it would make a great addition to any class library.
Written for first and second graders. I think it would make a great addition to any class library.
May 18, 2025
Mia learns a difficult lesson on keeping track of pets when her cat gets out of her carrier. Chaos had already gotten in a mess at Mia's home so when she escaped again at Mia's dad's veterinary practice, many of the patients came along. They ended up at PITS and in the wind tunnel as Mia practiced flying. Readers will enjoy the humor and fun as Mia continues to learn about her superpowers. Penn is back and the two learn to work together. Plenty of fun and humor for mid-elementary readers.
July 6, 2021
Read aloud to my kids. I didn’t like this one as much as book 1, because predictably it continued to be very over the top with its plot. It had some funny and clever moments and ended with more teamwork. The illustrations are fun, and the premise is really clever, but plot is pretty weak. I imagine we will continue to read through the series.
April 22, 2020
I didn’t like this one as much as I liked book 1. My kids loved it, though. Mia Mayhem ends up setting her cat and a bunch of dogs loose in the PITS. She, Penn, and Eddie work together to get the dogs back to her dad’s vet clinic before the big dog show.
October 13, 2020
My 5 y/o daughter LOVES Mia Mayhem, and I enjoy reading them with her. She relates to Mia’s chaotic, accident prone side. The books gave her another perspective on something she previously viewed as “bad” about herself. 10/10 would recommend.
March 8, 2021
This book is generally cute, but reads like it was written by a twelve-year-old. Maybe the goal was to capture the essence of a child’s voice, but I think that some of the random asides about dogs being adorable and such were unnecessary and annoying.
November 13, 2021
This book was a fun 2nd installment in the Mia Mayhem series. She's starting to figure out her superpowers but her ornery cat is still getting her in trouble :) I'm excited to see her relationship with Penn grow!
February 12, 2019
My 5 year old son and I enjoyed this graphic novel. It was a quick and enjoyable read for both of us.
January 18, 2021
Mia Mayhem learns to fly and, with her classmate Penn Powers, also learns an important lesson about trust and teamwork.
February 2, 2021
These books are okay. We were using them as a readaloud for my preschooler, but they didn't really hold her attention. We probably won't continue the series, at this point.
June 21, 2021
Too long for the age that would enjoy it. More toward our 2nd graders, but story is too ‘babyish’ for them. I found it dragged.
July 6, 2021
This was a good book, not as good as the first book. Onward.
October 18, 2021
Glad to hear Mia is making friends at her new school. She will keep getting new skills and we will keep reading!
February 1, 2022
Such a fun series. Much laughter and happiness by the group.
December 31, 2022
Really fun sequel to Mia Mayhem is a superhero. We finished the book and immediately reserved the next book from the library. Recommended for bedtime reading to the kiddos.
February 5, 2023
I liked how she flew looking for pax and other dogs.(by my son, age 7 close to 8.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2023
I liked when she learned to fly!
October 11, 2023
My 3-year-old loves the Mia Mayhem series. She says this one is her favorite so far because of all the animals and she also wants to fly!
June 24, 2020
I first met Mia Mayhem a short while back and I was charmed and curious enough to request Book 2, the volume in which she learns to fly! After that first attempt in volume 1, I was a little anxious about how her flight education might go. Of course there would be the return of mayhem, but would she succeed in learning to fly—something she really wanted to do—and, notably, not because her mother flies, but because she wants to be able to do it for her own sake.
Chapter One offers a quick introduction in case someone picks up Book 2 first; they’ll learn that Mia has only lately discovered that her parents with everyday careers are superheroes and that she has an ordinary life with extraordinary abilities, too. We’ll witness the source of her superhero name, mayhem, follow Mia into the PITS (Program for In Training Superheroes). Where else would a group of people appear so non-plussed by a furry parade of pandemonium.
The presence of Mia’s cat, aptly named Chaos, and the dogs who give chase will take their act to the next level when Mia enters the wind tunnel for her Intro to Flying Class. Yes, let’s just pause here before continuing into Chapter 3.
“So there I was. Trapped in a giant wind tunnel, rolling around with my crazy cat and a pack of adorable dogs.”
In keeping with the dramatic action of Mia’s narrative: on one page, Mia is praised for her heroic behavior; she “made a plan, acted quickly, and got everyone to safety.” On the next, her classmates deflate her balloon when she is reminded that “I may have helped solve the dog problem, but I had to admit, I was the one who brought the dogs in the first place.”
But her and Penn’s teamwork in saving the dogs from the wind tunnel isn’t over as they are given a mission to return the dogs, which—wait for it—is complicated by another Chaos escape. Enter one of the dog’s owners, Mia’s BFF. He’ll be the one with the dog tracker. As anticipated since the beginning, Edison becomes the gadget-man.
Any anxiety Mia had about flying was set aside when the animals were imperiled by the wind tunnel. Her fear of flying will have to return to the back seat with this new mission. Flying will allow her and Penn to keep up with the animals (and perform a quick rescue). As the frequent necessity for flight continues, her ability and confidence grows. She is practicing and learning as she goes. Then there is the company of a confident and mostly capable Penn. Mia learns that “when a friend is right next to you, even your biggest fears can disappear.”
With the help of Penn and Edison, Chaos is finally contained, but there is still more to be done. That theme of Teamwork is a natural addition to West’s superhero narrative. Everyone does their part, however they are able. The scene of the park clean-up is a great punctuation mark to this idea: Edison carrying one chair, super-strong Penn carrying five.
Hernandez relays a lot of the action in the illustrations, breaking into panel-sequences in the tradition of superhero comic. She draws chaos really well, which is good, considering how much chaos/mayhem West writes into the story. And for all the energy of the chase, the racing forward action, Hernandez & West find quiet moments for an emotional counterweight. It’s in the character arch that we find the greater victories, and for not only Mia, but Penn, too.
Another action-packed installment of Mia Mayhem, with its charming and funny text and pictures. That final line is the dimple in a cheek. Yes, Mia, maybe it is time to fix that cat carrier. And if you haven't picked up these chapter books for your early readers, it's time.
+
Noted: Frequent images break up the text; font size and spacing are also friendly for beginning, early or reluctant readers. An engaging protagonist, crew, and their adventures are sure to be appealing.
Chapter One offers a quick introduction in case someone picks up Book 2 first; they’ll learn that Mia has only lately discovered that her parents with everyday careers are superheroes and that she has an ordinary life with extraordinary abilities, too. We’ll witness the source of her superhero name, mayhem, follow Mia into the PITS (Program for In Training Superheroes). Where else would a group of people appear so non-plussed by a furry parade of pandemonium.
The presence of Mia’s cat, aptly named Chaos, and the dogs who give chase will take their act to the next level when Mia enters the wind tunnel for her Intro to Flying Class. Yes, let’s just pause here before continuing into Chapter 3.
“So there I was. Trapped in a giant wind tunnel, rolling around with my crazy cat and a pack of adorable dogs.”
In keeping with the dramatic action of Mia’s narrative: on one page, Mia is praised for her heroic behavior; she “made a plan, acted quickly, and got everyone to safety.” On the next, her classmates deflate her balloon when she is reminded that “I may have helped solve the dog problem, but I had to admit, I was the one who brought the dogs in the first place.”
But her and Penn’s teamwork in saving the dogs from the wind tunnel isn’t over as they are given a mission to return the dogs, which—wait for it—is complicated by another Chaos escape. Enter one of the dog’s owners, Mia’s BFF. He’ll be the one with the dog tracker. As anticipated since the beginning, Edison becomes the gadget-man.
Any anxiety Mia had about flying was set aside when the animals were imperiled by the wind tunnel. Her fear of flying will have to return to the back seat with this new mission. Flying will allow her and Penn to keep up with the animals (and perform a quick rescue). As the frequent necessity for flight continues, her ability and confidence grows. She is practicing and learning as she goes. Then there is the company of a confident and mostly capable Penn. Mia learns that “when a friend is right next to you, even your biggest fears can disappear.”
With the help of Penn and Edison, Chaos is finally contained, but there is still more to be done. That theme of Teamwork is a natural addition to West’s superhero narrative. Everyone does their part, however they are able. The scene of the park clean-up is a great punctuation mark to this idea: Edison carrying one chair, super-strong Penn carrying five.
Hernandez relays a lot of the action in the illustrations, breaking into panel-sequences in the tradition of superhero comic. She draws chaos really well, which is good, considering how much chaos/mayhem West writes into the story. And for all the energy of the chase, the racing forward action, Hernandez & West find quiet moments for an emotional counterweight. It’s in the character arch that we find the greater victories, and for not only Mia, but Penn, too.
Another action-packed installment of Mia Mayhem, with its charming and funny text and pictures. That final line is the dimple in a cheek. Yes, Mia, maybe it is time to fix that cat carrier. And if you haven't picked up these chapter books for your early readers, it's time.
+
Noted: Frequent images break up the text; font size and spacing are also friendly for beginning, early or reluctant readers. An engaging protagonist, crew, and their adventures are sure to be appealing.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews