2021 Best Videos Found this year. I scan hundreds of videos every year. I send the very best to my newsletter subscribers. (Join here) Now I give you the best of the best.
Let’s start with July 2021.
Hint: Jupiter is big
Begin With July
Why July? Twelve months of videos are too much for one blog. So I’ll make two. This is the first half of the 2021 Best Videos.
We’ll begin with this out-of-the-world video.
Jovian video
I’ll link the newsletters that held these videos. So click right here to get July’s.
And this is one person’s favorite scene from ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’:
What Do Readers Think of Villain’s Vacation? Here is where you’re going to find out. I go through Amazon, Audible, and Goodreads reviews to give you what other people are saying.
Along the way, I’ll tell you how you can get a free copy of Villain’s Vacation.
Four disabled seventh-graders with superpowers take a vacation at Coaster World. They need a break from fighting criminals. Ever since the beginning of the school year when they acquired their unusual abilities, they’ve been training and using those powers to fight crime in their town.
Little do they know the arch-villain they recently defeated also loves coasters and is vacationing at Coaster World. Worse, the villain wants revenge. Nothing less than turning these teens to a life of crime will satisfy.
Can Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey withstand the villain’s attacks? Or will they become Super Villains?
Note: While this is Book 2 in the series, it works pretty well as a stand alone story (tho book 1 is a lot of fun).
Once again the Secret Supers (Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey) combine their skills to fight evil! Well, actually, they were having a bit of a vacation and evil found them. But evil will certainly be sorry! Once again, Andy Zach gives us another delightful kids’ book. I’ve listened to his other audiobooks, including the Zombie Turkeys books, and this is a great addition to that collection.
The first half of the book is pretty much told from Jeremy’s point of view, though we do get to know his hamster (who has developed some great communication skills). The second half lets us see the story from other points of view as one after the other gets kidnapped and then rescued, until finally all are held under the steel robotic thumb of our Evil Overlord. (cue sinister music).
The settings are so much fun and my favorites were the Coaster World and the submarine. I also like that the Secret Supers have to pull in more allies, like parents. Their circle of support staff grows! And this will mean better costumes in the future.
Each of our superheroes has a disability but it doesn’t leave them disabled (even before they get their powers in book 1). Their physical limitations have given them a ‘think outside the box’ attitude, coming up with creative solutions. It also lets them be very accepting of others, including the unexpected texting hamster. It’s a fun story suitable for kids and adults with a happy ending. 5/5 stars.
Note: While this is Book 2 in the series, it works pretty well as a stand alone story (tho book 1 is a lot of fun).
The Narration: Michael Stafford did a great job with this story. He had the perfect voice for Jeremy and I liked his voices for the other kids as well. His robot voices were good too and I like how he added a little something to the telepathic discussions that let you know right away that it was telepathy. The pacing was good & there were no tech issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.
Andy Zach and his team of superheroes are back in Villain’s Vacation Secret Supers 2. In this sequel to Secret Supers where we meet 4 young teens with disabilities who are given superpowers by their leader Jeremy who stumbled upon the way to give them powers in book 1. This continuing saga gives disabled kids a chance to see themselves as superheros!!
After a busy school year of trying to survive middle school while fighting crime all over town the friends go on vacation to Coaster World, unfortunately so does a villian who wants revenge after having been defeated by them. In a series of action packed (some a little over the top) events the teens with the help of their super powered hamster work to find out who keeps kidnapping them and why.
This book is a fun follow up to the first and continues the story well.
… and tells you her opinion of Villain’s Vacation. You’re reading ‘What Do Readers Think’. If you want to give me your opinion, comment here.
Chapter 4 icon of Villain’s Vacation
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 5 out of 5 stars
Story 5 out of 5 stars
09-06-21
What a ride!
A talking hamster named Dancer. What more could you ask for in an audio by Andy Zach? A vocal appearance by the author himself. The Supers have another unbelievable adventure that kept me giggling and listening straight through. An enjoyable listen for kids and adults alike.
Villain’s Vacation is the second book in the Secret Supers series. I admit I haven’t read the first book, but I didn’t feel lost at all. Clearly the first book was the introduction to the human characters, and possibly the team’s formation, but there isn’t any critical information left out. Four disabled preteens are saving the world X-Men style and their handler writes their adventures as fiction novels.
In this installment, the team gets a mascot in the form of Dancer, a hamster owned by one of the team members who also gained special abilities along with the team but no one noticed before now. He’s literate! Dancer reads everything he can get his paws on and ends up communicating with the team via cellphone.
I love all the positive disability representation in this book full of unstoppable kids with powers that replace and complement what they’ve lost. The addition of a talking hamster is adorable and will definitely make this book more appealing to the kids who might have been hesitant to read a superhero book.
My one criticism of the book itself is that the dialogue, though definitely reading level appropriate for a middle-grade audience, sometimes ventures into painfully blatant exposition territory. Middle-grade readers might not mind, but the parents and teachers reading along with them (if this is a group or family read) probably will.
On the flip side, there are so many pop culture references in this that those adult reading buddies will catch onto and laugh at. Scooby-Doo fans? There are easter eggs in here for you!
The audiobook narration was good overall and I appreciated the narrator’s effort to make the different characters sound distinct. With that said, I nearly turned it off in the beginning when Dancer the hamster was thinking his dialogue rather than typing it. Thank goodness his voice shifted when he started using technology because the pitch-shifted squeaky rodent voice was indecipherable at my preferred 2x listening speed!
Overall this is a cute superhero story with a lot of important positive representation, and I highly recommend these books to scifi and superhero fans looking for a good middle-grade series.
I was granted complimentary audiobook access to Villain’s Vacation as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Audiobookworm Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Great performance for a feeling of nostalgia of my childhood, reminding me of watching them with my father. It was very enjoyable as well as very entertaining. It also had good humor sprinkled throughout.
I really enjoyed listening to this story. I haven’t read the first book, but I was still able to follow along easily. Stafford did an excellent job of bringing the characters and story to life.
I absolutely adore Dancer. How can you not love a Hamster that can read and type?! I really appreciate the team of heroes and how they’re disabled, yet unlike what we often see in media, that isn’t an impediment. This positive representation of the community made my heart soar.
Although the story is definitely middle-grade aimed, if you’re reading along as an adult, you’ll appreciate the pop culture references peppered in. I really enjoyed this book, and it’s made me want to check out book one!
Our 4 Heroes from Book 1 take on new challenges from old enemies/Villains. Not to worry, we have super intelligent hamster and an old friend/mentor to help the Team along the way. This series is light, fun, and highly recommended for readers up to about 15 years of age, so think YA fantasy adventure.
Disabled Middle School Superheroes for You – Find out what my imagination has unleashed: this powerful Secret Supers team go from their special ed class to lives of fighting crime.
In this blog post, you’ll read what Audiobook listeners think in their reviews.
Click to listen to free sample of Secret Supers.
Don’t like audiobooks? You can get the ebooks by clicking here. Kindle will also let you read the first chapter.
And now, the disabled middle school superheroes reviews.
Everyone can be brave and heroic
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
03-07-20
Secret Supers Chapter 1 icon
I love that someone is writing fun superstories in which disabled and differently abled kids can see themselves as potentially brave and heroic. The story doesn’t just show them doing impossible things that fully abled people can’t even do; it shows them using their heads to solve problems and cooperating together to use their different gifts to change the world for the better. And it’s well told, with a youthful sounding narrator that highlights the 12-13 years of the characters.
I received this free audiobook and voluntarily left this honest review.
Let me just say I love this narrator. His voice went perfectly with the story. This book is about disabled people getting super powers and I thought it was awesome. This is a great book for those with disabilities and older children without disabilities. I think we all imagine what it would be like to have superpowers and then this book will find out what these kids do with their super powers.
Mr Andy Zach has crafted a fun story of different-able kids becoming superheroes.
I don’t read much MG fiction, but it was a nice light read. It did feel at times that everything was too easily overcome and the kids only wear super suits once.
It was also interesting to hear what sounded like a middle grade student as the narrator. This had pros and cons for me. It worked for the kids, but some of his adult voices…
Overall, worth a listen, fun story, and likable characters.
In a straightforward plot/storyline that won’t be confused with SciFi, 4 disabled kids become “enabled,” even Super! They are good kids with good intentions and they do the right thing. The parents are all involved, and the community is a middle-class ideal. A sweet read/listen for the suggested reader age range of 10-15.
We have a break from our superheroes to bring you:
A super middle school xylophonist
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This was a good book.In it anyone can be a super hero! Luke Castle was a fine narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.’
There’s so much awesome stuff happening in this book! I really enjoyed the story, especially the backbone of it. Each of these kids (Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey) has their own disability and when Jeremy stumbles upon a way to give each of them a super power, they still have to deal with real life. The super power doesn’t take away or negate their disability but it does give them an edge. Plus, they learn to work together as team, using their individual powers to boost each other. Just a fantastic premise for a story.
The story is definitely geared towards kids, as the plot is pretty straight forward and there’s little conflict among the characters. Our heroes already have a fight on their hands – just being accepted in regular society. In fact, the big hurdle in the book deals with that at their public school. I really liked how they pulled together to tackle the problem and how their efforts pulled in their friends, family, and community.
The end leaves us on a triumphant note as well as hinting as more to come. I hope this is just the start of a series. Jeremy needs to keep a close eye on his pet hamster. I kinda hope that hamster becomes the master mind. Ha! 5/5 stars.
The Narration – Disabled Middle School Superheroes
Luke Castle gets an A for effort but a C for product. Castle had a perfect voice for Jeremy, capturing the character’s young earnest voice. Castle’s female character voices need more femininity. Many of them sounded very cartoony. I appreciate Castle’s attempts at regional and foreign accents, but they were hit and miss or way over done (like the Georgia peach and the California valley girl). The pacing was a bit off too, often with long pauses in between chapters (at first, I thought my player had stalled). Castle does a good job capturing the various emotions of the characters. Other than the long pauses in between the chapters, there were no technical issues with the recording. 2.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Andy Zach. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
This is a story filled with joy an overcoming obstacles. in these dark times an uplifting tale is needed with the the human spirit meeting the challenges of life with positive mind set and a bit of hard work. The fact that these children are “supers” in this story does not diminish the lesson it teaches. A must listen for young folks and their parents.
A cool middle grade story about handicapped superheroes
Secret Supers Chapter 7 icon
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 3 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
05-29-20
Secret Supers is a really cool middle grade story about a bunch of handicapped kids that gain superpowers. The story is written for a younger audience, so it might not appeal to older readers, but I bet kids will really enjoy it, and it is wonderful to see the kids in the story empowered.
The narrator takes a bit of getting used to. He uses a rather nasally voice for one of the main characters that can be hard to listen to. But he is pretty good at character voices, and he grew on me as the book progressed. Unfortunately there is a bit of background noise in the recording which can be distracting.
I received this audiobook at no-cost from Audiobookworm Promotions. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Disabled Middle School Superheroes Intermission Number 2
Here we have a superhero pilot. Note that he’s landing during Hurricane Dennis.
Now I return you to your normal disabled middle school superheroes reviews.
Uplifting
Secret Supers Chapter 10 icon
Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 3 out of 5 stars
Story 4 out of 5 stars
05-07-20
Secret Supers is such a fun story, and it has a great message. I listened with my mid-grade kiddos, one boy and one girl, and they both enjoyed the story. The target audience may be mid-grade kids, but this is the type of story that is entertaining for both kids and adults.
This book is fast-paced and just loads of fun from start to finish, and it has such a positive vibe. The kids each have a different disability, and those disabilities are handled honestly while still keeping an upbeat vibe. I love how their individual super powers gave them what they needed, and the four together complimented each other so well. The kids are all lovable and quirky, and you can’t help but root for their successes and smile when they do succeed.
Narration Comments – Disabled Middle School Superheroes
It’s interesting that the story is narrated by a teenager. In fact, my kiddos noticed it right away and commented about it. It gave them a whole new appreciation for audiobooks, and they’ll both be looking for more stories narrated by Luke Castle. This young man really seems to enjoy himself as he narrates this book, and that certainly comes through. For me, some of the voices were maybe a little over the top, but my tweens had no complaints, and since this is a mid-grade story, I would say that’s the most important thing. They were thoroughly entertained by both Andy Zach’s story and Luke Castle’s performance, and I have to say that the two do go well together.
All in all, Andy Zach has done a terrific job with this book. The story and its characters are a positive force in a world that is all too often focused on the negative, and it all comes together for one entertaining and uplifting listen for kids of all ages.
This book is fantastic. It has a fantastic story line, great character development, but most of all, the narration was on point. Luke Castle deserves a Grammy, nay, an Emmy, for this reading. Everything from his impressions to his transitions, and everything in between. Truly an amazing book with top-tier narration. A+
Yes this is an audiobook for kids but I found it very interesting due to that is a good lesson for both children and adults handicapped or not. And that lesson if you want something so bad enough you are willing to work hard to get it or achieve a goal that everyone thinks you can not do.
You have the following characters a above average boy, a black blind boy, a young girl who has lost her legs and finally a young girl who has lost the ability to speak or sing. I believe kids would really like this audible because the story is based both on their abilities and disabilities and how they learn from the disabilities but grow and learn as a person and the friendship between the four.
When you have a battle to fight or someone is causing your problems when you have friends you can overcome the problem here was raising $100,000 to cover the shortage on the school year budget or all handicapped children would be bused to another school and maybe not be together. They raised the money by doing the impossible and proving everyone in the city that even though they are handicapped they gave a lots to offer and did not need to be separated from family and friends.
There is a lots more to this book and personally believe you would enjoy the book it brings a smile, a chuckle and a laugh as the story is told and you live the lives of four amazing and awesome handicapped kids.
Four differently-abled kids suddenly gain superpowers and use them to fight crime. How cool is that? Any kid would love to have powers. They used teamwork and demonstrated compassion for others. They also had a lot of fun.
The narration was a bit weird. All the voices sound really nasal. At first I laughed, then for about five minutes I thought they were cute, then I just found the voices annoying. Kids will probably not care about that. I imagine they’ll just enjoy thinking about what they would do with superpowers.
Good storyline and fair plot. The narrator’s voice wasn’t the right one for the book. For me his voice was distracting as he tried to do the different characters.
