ORIENTATION

After a fight with the Shocker results in Ms. Marvel, aka Kamala Khan, demolishing some New Jersey buildings, she is recruited into the Avengers Institute after-school program.

Helmed by principal Carol “Captain Marvel” Danvers, Kamala’s idol and frequent subject of her superhero fan fiction, the program aims to give young heroes the opportunity to explore their powers, build camaraderie with other superheroes, and cultivate much-needed superhero skills. Taught by such luminaries as Beast, She-Hulk (who gives the young heroes a primer on legal responsibilities), Ant-Man, and vice principal (and former villain) Quicksilver, the young Pakistani American hero builds skills and confidence, and she finds friendship with her teammates Miles “Spider-Man” Morales, who’s Afro-Latinx, and Doreen “Squirrel Girl” Green, who’s white. But when other classmates reveal their true, less-scrupulous intentions, Kamala and her friends find themselves in danger in their final academic decathlon. Fans will enjoy the situational humor and banter among characters and their mentors, such as Peter Parker with Miles, and slapstick antics. The story is related in a variety of formats including comics, social media posts, newspaper articles, letters, and text messages (sometimes unclear and at other times revealing too much); it may be hard for some Marvel aficionados to suspend disbelief. Though familiarity with characters’ backstories is not absolutely required, readers new to the franchise may be a little lost without some background knowledge. Readers also meet Kamala’s family, imam Sheikh Abdullah, and friend Nakia; all are Muslim, and some dispense advice based on Islamic stories and sayings.

A lighthearted middle-grade treatment of new and beloved heroes.