Review and Giveaway: Super Sons - The Foxglove Mission by Ridley Pearson

Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission 

By Ridley Pearson 

Illustrated by Ileana Gonzalez 

October 29, 2019 

DC Zoom 

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In the aftermath of The PolarShield Project, Jon Kent and Damian "Ian" Wayne, the respective sons of Superman and Batman, are on the run! With their hometown in ruins, and in the absence of their heroic fathers, Jon and Ian are on a mission to find a sample of the deadly virus that's threatening Wyndemere and Jon's mother, Lois Lane. Meanwhile, Candace follows clues that hold the key to her destiny, and her journey is filled with twists and turns as she unlocks powerful abilities she never knew existed. While their quests threaten to divide the three of them, it's only through teamwork and trust that they can succeed. 

The Foxglove Mission is the rare sequel that takes everything readers love about Super Sons and raises the stakes without losing any of the charm or sense of wonder. Join New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson (Kingdom Keepers) and artist Ile Gonzalez as they introduce new settings, new allies and villains, and an all-new adventure in this latest action-packed chapter! 

Praise for Pearson’s Super Sons series: 

“Pearson integrates timely elements through the focus on climate change and allusions to the refugee experience, while Gonzalez’s artwork is vivid and crisp, riffing on a classic comic style. Pearson and Gonzalez’s take on the iconic figures offers good fun, especially for young readers who are just discovering the DC universe.” 

—Publishers Weekly 

 “This adventure mixes several popular elements, such as superheroes, mysteries, and global warming. For kids who enjoy suspenseful adventures about saving the world and superhero-adjacent stories.” 

—School Library Journal 

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Jon Kent, son of Superman; Ian Wayne, son of Batman; and their friends Candace and Tilly return for another action-packed, fast-paced adventure in Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission! Once again, Ridley Pearson explores the enthralling, tense Superman/Batman dynamic for a younger audience, through the eyes of their sons. Exciting unfolding action, likable characters, cool powers and gadgets, and engaging illustrations smash together in this fun, hip graphic novel.  

The various settings and story arcs will keep readers absorbed and eagerly turning pages, while the timely and thought-provoking topics explored will engage the minds of young readers. Jon and Ian prove to be compelling young heroes, while Candace and Tilly continue to shine as strong, capable heroines.  

Fans of the world of Batman and Superman, and younger readers not yet ready for that intense world, will both be captivated and impressed with this sequel! 

Ridley Pearson is the author of more than twenty novels, including the New York Times bestseller KILLER WEEKEND; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, PETER AND THE SHADOW THIEVES, and PETER AND THE SECRET OF RUNDOON, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall. 

Edgar-nominee, Ridley Pearson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of (more than 50) award-winning suspense and young adult adventure novels. His novels have been published in two-dozen languages and have been adapted for network television and the Broadway stage. Ridley’s crime novels have earned a reputation for writing fiction that “grips the imagination.” 

Ridley’s middle-grade-reader series include, The Kingdom Keepers, Steel Trappand Lock & Key. The Peter and the Starcatchers series,co-written with Pulitzer Prize winner (and bandmate), Dave Barry, (adapted to the stage by Rick Elice) was awarded 5 Tony Awards. 

Ridley’s research has spanned the globe and has included, a prison for the criminally insane in the U.K., exploring the engine room of a cruise liner, and multiple after-hour tours of Walt Disney World and Disneyland. 

 Currently, Ridley is writing a new series—The Kingdom Kids—for Disney Books and a trilogy of graphic novels—The Super Sons—for DC Entertainment. 

Ridley plays bass guitar in an all-author rock band comprised of other bestselling writers (Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Mitch Album, Scott Turow, Greg Iles, and occasionally, Stephen King). The Rockbottom Remainders, has raised over 2.5 million dollars for various non-profits. He lives–and writes–in the Northern Rockies along with his wife, Marcelle. 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram 

Ileana Gonzalez illustrated her first comic strip while in kindergarten, and grew up to study fashion design in college. Deciding that graphic storytelling was her first true love, she refocused her creative effort and landed her first paid work at the digital storytelling company Madefire, working exclusively for them to co-create their popular middle-grade series The Heroes Club. Super Sons is her first graphic novel, and her first project for DC. 

Win a copy of Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission!

The folks at DC Zoo have generously offered one new copy for one winner.

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-ends 11/3/19

-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

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Interview: Kim Harrington, author of Revenge of the Red Club

I'm thrilled to have author Kim Harrington stopping by today to discuss her new middle-grade book, Revenge Of The Red Club...

Revenge of the Red Club 

By Kim Harrington 

10/22/19 

Aladdin 

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A tween reporter discovers an important and beloved club at school is being shut down—and uses the power of the pen to try and activate some much-needed social change in this period-positive and empowering middle grade novel about the importance of standing up for what you believe in. 

Riley Dunne loves being a member of the Red Club. It’s more than a group of girls supporting each other through Aunt Flo’s ups and downs; it’s a Hawking Middle School tradition. The club’s secret locker has an emergency stash of supplies, and the girls are always willing to lend an ear, a shoulder, or an old pair of sweatpants. 

But when the school administration shuts the Red Club down because of complaints, the girls are stunned. Who would do that to them? The girls’ shock quickly turns into anger, and then they decide to get even. 

But wallpapering the gym with maxi pads and making tampon crafts in art class won’t bring their club back. Only Riley can do that. Using the skills she has cultivated as her school paper’s top investigative reporter (okay, only investigative reporter), she digs for the truth about who shut the club down and why. All the while dealing with friendship drama, a new and ridiculous dress code, and a support group that is now more focused on fighting with each other than fighting back. 

Can she save the Red Club before this rebellion turns into a full-scale war? 

Q1. What three words best describe your book, Revenge of the Red Club? 

Periods. Heart. Mayhem. 

Q2. Grab a copy of Revenge of the Red Club and answer the following: 

Favorite chapter? Chapter 17. It was one of the first scenes I pictured in my head when I came up with the idea for the book. 

Favorite page? 222. I still tear up reading it. 

Favorite setting? The school dance. 

Flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentence teaser:  

I smiled as I looked at the numbers I’d written down. It was time to introduce the new girl to the Red Club. 

Q3. Tell us a bit about your character Riley? What do you love about her? 

Oh, I love Riley. She’s a loyal friend with a great sense of humor. She’s an investigative reporter for the school newspaper. And while she sometimes gets in trouble, it’s always for the right reasons. And I love how she deals with the difficult dynamics in her relationship with her mother (which was interesting to explore!) and how they eventually led to change. 

Q4. Why did you choose to write about periods? Did you come across any difficulties of pushback when exploring this topic for a middle-grade lit audience? 

I basically wrote the book that I wish had existed for me when I was that age. There’s not a lot of period talk in middle grade literature (though it’s getting better!), and I feel that it’s important to lift the stigma. And I was so happy that Aladdin went all out with the cover—not hiding what it’s about. In fact, they put tampons on the cover! 

Q5. What advice would you give or resources would you recommend to young girls and boys who are experiencing the world of menstruation for the first time? 

Don’t buy into the stigma to feel ashamed over something your body is doing that’s normal. Talk about your feelings with an adult or your friends. And find humor in it! As anyone who reads my books knows, I use humor to deal with everything.  

Q6. The Red Club feels like a great sisterhood of girls supporting each other...do you have any favorite pop culture sisterhoods, girl squads, or female friendships? 

Is it weird if I say The Golden Girls? These friends couldn’t be more different, and they love to burn each other with sarcastic jokes. But when anything goes down, they have each other’s back. They are the OG girl squad, in my opinion. 

Q7. Fill in the blanks: 

I’m really awesome at cracking jokes. 

I’m really embarrassed to admit how often I leave the house. (I’m a homebody, okay! Lol) 

The last great book I read was The Winters by Lisa Gabriele. I loved Rebecca as a teenager, and this is a great, modern retelling. 

Q8. If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by Revenge of the Red Club, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it? 

It would be red velvet, of course! I’d call it…Revenge Tastes Sweet. 😊  

Kim Harrington is the author of Clarity (a 2012 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers), Perception, The Dead and Buried, and Forget Me for teens and the Sleuth or Dare and Gamer Squad series for younger readers. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son. When not writing, she’s most likely reading, watching one of her favorite TV shows, or fantasizing about her next vacation. Her next release, REVENGE OF THE RED CLUB, is coming from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster on October 22, 2019. 

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