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Superheroes love a good plot twist. A super-secret school for super-secret kids getting saved by a no-powered normal kid? Definitely a twist.

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BEN BRAVER SERIES by Marcus Emerson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

The Ben Braver book covers caught my attention right away. The colorful illustrations and clever titles will definitely tickle a middle grade fancy! Just like with Lay’s chips, you can’t read just one page. Or even just one book. You could start with book three, but why not get Ben’s story from the beginning?

There are so many things to love about the Ben Braver series. It has a kid-friendly format that will appeal to middle grade readers across many ability levels. Illustrations sprinkle almost every page, providing breaks for readers. Those illustrations are sneaky, too — they help to provide some context for each stage of the story. Struggling readers may rely on those graphics to fully understand the actions, setting, or emotions of the story. Advanced readers will appreciate the creative vocabulary and format. For instance, The Vortex of Doom starts with a recap of the last 10 hours. presenting an immediate conflict that must be solved.

The author gets creative with kid-related problems. In chapter 10, Ben and his friends eat a meal that doesn’t suit everyone in the party. Penny, a vegetarian, “didn’t want to be rude, so she scooped only vegetables.” This scenario is just one example of a real-world situation that helps kids navigate a tough moment through the story.

At over 300 pages, this book’s length may be intimidating to some of my 6th grade students. If you see the same hesitation, gently remind your child that illustrations fill up the pages. The Ben Braver series would make a terrific read aloud, or maybe a paired read. I wish the spines were marked with the book number in the series so that students could easily start with the first book. The exciting covers and zany book summaries are sure to appeal to young readers.

About The Book:

Title: BEN BRAVER AND THE VORTEX OF DOOM (Ben Braver #3)

Author: Marcus Emerson

Pub. Date: March 3, 2020

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 384

An ordinary kid like Ben Braver is no match for a band of super villains, but he may be humanity’s only hope in Marcus Emerson’s Ben Braver and the Vortex of Doom.

The world will never be the same . . .

When the baddest of bad guys threatens the world with a giant black hole, Ben Braver is the only one who can stop it. Ready or not, he’s about to learn what it really means to be a hero.

The Ben Braver series is “a crazy fun ride–action packed and loaded with laughs!” says Max Brallier, author of the New York Times–bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth.

About Marcus: 

Marcus Emerson is the author of the hit Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series and the Secret Agent 6th Grader series. His career started in 2nd grade when he discovered Garfield. He grew up playing Super Mario Bros. 4, watching Thundercats, and reading comics like X-Men, Superman, and Wildcats. He lives in Eldridge, Iowa with his wife and children.