Description
Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. She has friends with super speed (who always beat her in races), friends with super strength (who can dangle from the monkey bars for hours), and friends who are better than her at a million other things. Nalvana thinks she must be the only kid in town without a superpower. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special, and that her superpower was right in front of her all along.
Author Bio
Aviaq Johnston is a young Inuk author from Igloolik, Nunavut. Her debut novel Those Who Run in the Sky was released in the spring of 2017. In 2014, she won first place in the Aboriginal Arts and Stories competition for her short story “Tarnikuluk,” which also earned her a Governor General’s History Award. Aviaq is a graduate of Nunavut Sivuniksavut, and she has a diploma in Social Service Work from Canadore College. Aviaq loves to travel and has lived in Australia and Vietnam. She spends most of her time reading, writing, studying, and procrastinating. She lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut.
Tim Mack is a Canadian-born Illustrator living in Montreal, Quebec. He has worked in various industries including children's books, animation, and video games. When not making art, he can be found looking for somewhere to swim and read.
Prizes
- Blue Spruce AwardShort-listed 2019
- Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens 2017
Review Quotes
“. . . Nalvana’s superpower is not one of the athletic or other overt skills that are normally so admired in our current society...Aviaq Johnston has made her story one of inclusivity, not exclusivity.”—CanLit for Little Canadians
“. . . [A] book kids will clamor to read, even as they learn terms like ‘anaana’, ‘inuksuk’, and ‘panik’. That’s its superpower.”—School Library Journal
“. . . [W]ell-written, [and] heart-warming . . .”—Quill & Quire
“Overall, what a lovely, heart-warming picture book! Nalvana’s story is one of sharing kindness, holding onto one’s own kernels of hopefulness and determination, and the excitement in finding your own happy and cool discovery along the way.”—Fab Book Reviews
“Nalvana is a bundle of creativity, spunk, and determination—readers will be happy to know her.”—Kirkus Reviews
“. . . [A] fine story of self-inspection.”—Midwest Book Review
“. . . [A] very sweet story that encourages children to rethink how they evaluate success . . .”—The Book Wars
