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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Cameron, Josephine

Not All Heroes

336 pp. | Farrar | May, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-374-31443-9 $16.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-374-31444-6 $9.99
(2) 4-6 Sixth grader Zinnia and her young aunt join the Reality Shifters, a league of Real-Life Superheroes who aim to "help the helpless [and] bring hope to the hopeless" through such missions as delivering blankets and water to people experiencing homelessness, while raising awareness with their conspicuous costumes. Quiet Zinnia joins the group largely because her adventurous brother, whose death she is grieving, would have loved it. The influence of fellow Reality Shifters brings her out of her shell, encouraging assertiveness in her daily life; an episode of standing up to a classmate's teasing reveals a lot about both characters. The superhero theme--complete with alter egos (rainbow-loving Zinnia is Spectrum, a bold-when-in-costume classmate is Wrecking Ball, a wheelchair-using member is Papa Wheelie) and a rivalry with another RLSH league--adds a lively element, but the story stays grounded in day-to-day life, encouraging readers to think critically about what allyship means and how to avoid centering oneself. An author's note gives background on the real-life RLSH movement and advice on both grief and advocacy.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

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