My Super Duper Me

My Super Duper Me is a heartwarming picture book by Super Bowl champion and literacy advocate Malcolm Mitchell. The story follows Rhodes, a boy at a new school who is struggling to connect with his classmates. He is eating lunch alone, watching as others play together at recess, and not feeling like he is enough academically. Rhodes wonders if he will ever be seen and understood. Enter the amazing school librarian, Mr. Burton, who connects with Rhodes through books. In the end, Rhodes learns a bit about himself and finally feels seen.

What I Liked: What a relatable story! All of us have felt invisible or misunderstood at some point, making it incredibly easy to empathize with Rhodes. I especially appreciate how Mitchell doesn’t shy away from addressing Rhodes’ academic struggles compared to his peers. It sends a powerful message to students of all levels that they are worthy to be seen. Mitchell has been vocal as a literacy advocate about his own reading struggles as a child, and you can see he drew from his experience when writing this story. Can we give it up for the school librarian being the hero of this story? As a librarian myself, it is wonderful to see our profession portrayed in such a positive, impactful light, completely shattering the old stereotype of the cranky, shushing gatekeeper. To top it all off, the illustrations are bright, engaging, and add so much to the story.

My Super Duper Me is a book that all educators need for their classrooms and libraries to inspire students of all abilities.