Super Family!

Super Family! is the third book in Cale Atkinson’s “Simon and Chester” series, and it is perhaps the most heartfelt and lovely of the three. Chester, who lives with just his grandmother, finds himself wishing he was part of one of the more “normal” families that he sees on TV or at his friends’ homes. Simon, on the other hand, spends much of the book trying to impress his old rival Clancy who belittles Simon’s haunting abilities. In the end, both Simon and Chester learn valuable lessons about appreciating their own circumstances and the people around them.

This storyline in Super Family! has the potential to resonate with readers for a variety of reasons. On one hand, any child who has ever felt that joining someone else’s family would solve their problems will be able to watch as Chester gets a glimpse of what it might be like, only to realize that he actually has a pretty great family. In Simon’s case, he spends so much time trying to impress someone that he ends up having a pretty miserable time at a convention that he might have otherwise enjoyed. Both valuable life lessons are disguised cleverly amongst funny jokes and cute illustrations.

The illustrations in this series are consistently engaging and fun. Atkinson’s ability to create facial expressions on his two main characters is incredible. It’s especially impressive in the case of Simon, the ghost, as his actual features are so minimal; eyes, eyebrows, rosy cheeks, and a mouth are pretty much it, but Atkinson still manages to fill those features with emotions that run the gamut from grossed out to suspicious to smug.

As usual, this book was stolen from me the moment it arrived at my house. Even my “tween” was excited to see it arrive. Simon and Chester have definitely earned a spot on our list of “best book duos.”