PBParty #3: SUPER OLD, Humorous Chapter Book

Title:  Super Old

Genre:  Humorous Chapter Book

Word Count: 7400

Query:

Dear Agents:

Eight-year-old Benjamin Maxwell’s principal thinks Ben’s overactive imagination gets him into too much trouble. That is why instead of a thank you for saving the school from a devastating fire, Ben receives a lecture the difference between a flame in the cafeteria’s kitchen and the lunch lady’s new orange hair color, which doesn't warrant pulling the fire alarm. In Ben’s defense, they both looked an awful lot alike.

For his efforts, Ben receives a five-day suspension where he stays with his mom who runs an elderly care facility from their home. To pass the time, Ben spends his days reading old comic books because anything is better than helping with the old men. The only super things about them are their super absorbent diapers. Except the more Ben reads, the more he finds similarities between the old men and the superheroes from the comic books. He’s soon convinced that his mother runs a home for retired superheroes.

When Mom doesn’t return from running errands, Ben rallies the heroes to save her. But when they shuffle into the middle of a bank robbery, Ben and his superheroes must spring into action to save the day. But after the robbers hold them hostage, Ben worries they might not be retired superheroes after all; they may just be two old men in a dangerous situation. However, you don’t always need superpowers to be a superhero, sometimes guts, determination, and dumb luck will do the trick.

SUPER OLD is the first in a proposed chapter book series complete at 7,400 words. If Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine were Captain Underpants’ sidekick, you would have Super Old.

First 100 Words:

It was the forty-second day of third grade, and the forty-fifth time Benjamin Maxwell sat in the same seat waiting for Principal Shears to give him the lecture that he did yesterday and the forty-three times before that.

“Your overactive imagination is going to get you into trouble someday, Benjamin,” Mr. Shears said.

“But I saw a fire,” Ben said

“Did you?” Mr. Shears raised an eyebrow.

It was orange; he knew that for sure.

It was hot; he was pretty sure.

And it moved quickly through the kitchen.

“You can’t pull the fire alarm just because the lunch lady colored her hair orange.”