ABSOLUTE HERO

Izzy Newton is anxious about starting middle school, but with a little help from her good friends, she conquers her fears.

Izzy’s best friends, pretty Charlie Darwin and adventurous Allie Einstein, are loyal and supportive, but Izzy doesn’t know what to think when she learns that Marie Curie, a former member of the trio’s circle of friends, is back from a year in Paris during which they fell out of touch. Izzy hopes to win Marie’s friendship back, but Marie is cold to them on the first day of school. The school building is cold too—the air-conditioning system is malfunctioning, making the school like a refrigerator inside. Izzy convinces her friends to help solve the mystery behind this, partly hoping that if the STEM club she’s proposed doesn’t draw Marie to them, this will. They are all passionate about science, and they form several hypotheses and do observations, but it isn’t until they resolve things with Marie that their efforts are successful. This series opener highlights diverse, sympathetic characters using their smarts and their emotional intelligence to solve scientific and social challenges. Charlie has light-brown skin and speaks Spanish with her two moms, Allie presents white, Marie presents Asian, and new girl Gina Carver is black; Izzy is a winning black protagonist who steadily challenges herself and nurtures her friendships. Bowers’ half- and full-page grayscale illustrations add personality to the characters. Backmatter offers further information on the characters’ real-life inspirations and women scientists.

Wholesome entertainment for preteens, offering positivity without didacticism.