We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

How to Be a Supervillain
(Adobe EPUB eBook, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Author:
Author of introduction, etc.:
Published:
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 2017
Accelerated Reader:
IL: MG - BL: 3.2 - AR Pts: 3
Lexile measure:
GN: Graphic Novel 360L
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description
In this rollicking middle-grade adventure and national bestseller, Michael Fry's witty text and hysterical artwork combines superhero action with classic fish-out-of-water humor.
Victor Spoil comes from a long line of famous supervillains and he's fully expected to join their ranks one day. But to his family's utter disappointment, Victor doesn't have a single bad-guy bone in his body. He won't run with scissors, he always finishes his peas, and he can't stand to be messy. Hopeless!
As a last-ditch effort before they give up and let him be a — gasp! — civilian, Victor's exasperated parents send him to apprentice under a disgraced supervillain called The Smear. This matchup starts off as a complete disaster, but Victor and The Smear eventually find that they have a lot to learn from each other. When the stakes get high as Victor is forced to choose between his mentor and his family morals (or lack thereof) . . . what will the world's nicest bad guy do?
Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
OverDrive Read
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
05/02/2017
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780316318723
Accelerated Reader:
MG
Level 3.2, 3 Points
Lexile code:
GN: Graphic Novel
Lexile measure:
360
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Michael Fry. (2017). How to Be a Supervillain. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Michael Fry. 2017. How to Be a Supervillain. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Michael Fry, How to Be a Supervillain. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Michael Fry. How to Be a Supervillain. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection11
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
43359f00-833c-d544-c00f-9cdf1bec31d0
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 18:18:41
Date Updated:
Mar 16, 2023 05:22:29
Last Metadata Check:
Mar 24, 2024 09:47:38
Last Metadata Change:
Oct 01, 2023 11:53:01
Last Availability Check:
Mar 24, 2024 09:47:41
Last Availability Change:
Jan 04, 2024 09:36:47
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Mar 28, 2024 02:11:39

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0017-1/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0017-1/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0017-1/5BA/123/C0/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0017-1/5BA/123/C0/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780316318723
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780316318723
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780316318693
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Michael Fry
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
How to Be a Supervillain
seriesId
635192
dateAdded
2017-05-04T22:52:00Z
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=2946700
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
How to Be a Supervillain How to Be a Supervillain Series Book 01
crossRefId
2946700
series
How to Be a Supervillain
id
5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5
starRating
4.2

OverDrive MetaData

interestLevel
MG
isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: HowtoBeaSupervillain_9780316318723_2946700
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 179101356
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780316318723
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: 0
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 0
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 5/2/2017
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=5ba123c0-c3e9-4b38-97ff-1e3419fca8e5&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: HowtoBeaSupervillain_9780316318723_2946700
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 175037950
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780316318723
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 5/2/2017
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=5ba123c0-c3e9-4b38-97ff-1e3419fca8e5&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Fry, Michael
      • bioText: Michael Fry has been a cartoonist for over 30 years and is the co-creator and writer of the Over the Hedge comic strip, which was turned into a Dreamworks film starring Bruce Willis and William Shatner. He lives near Austin, TX.
      • name: Michael Fry
      • role: Author of introduction, etc.
      • fileAs: Patterson, James
      • name: James Patterson
imprint
Jimmy Patterson
publishDate
2017-05-02T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
How to Be a Supervillain
fullDescription
In this rollicking middle-grade adventure and national bestseller, Michael Fry's witty text and hysterical artwork combines superhero action with classic fish-out-of-water humor.
Victor Spoil comes from a long line of famous supervillains and he's fully expected to join their ranks one day. But to his family's utter disappointment, Victor doesn't have a single bad-guy bone in his body. He won't run with scissors, he always finishes his peas, and he can't stand to be messy. Hopeless!
As a last-ditch effort before they give up and let him be a — gasp! — civilian, Victor's exasperated parents send him to apprentice under a disgraced supervillain called The Smear. This matchup starts off as a complete disaster, but Victor and The Smear eventually find that they have a lot to learn from each other. When the stakes get high as Victor is forced to choose between his mentor and his family morals (or lack thereof) . . . what will the world's nicest bad guy do?
seriesId
635192
gradeLevels
      • value: Grade 50
      • value: Grade 1
      • value: Grade 2
reviews
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        March 27, 2017
        Cartoonist and author Fry (the Odd Squad series) explores what happens when supervillain parents end up with a good kid in this offbeat story, which is bolstered by plenty of loopy b&w comics sequences. Twelve-year-old Victor wants to please his parents, Rupert and Olivia Spoil, but it’s hard when he’s a neatnik who doesn’t have an evil bone in his body. Enter the Smear, one of the many nutty heroes and antiheroes populating the story. Not even the most sinister of villains, Dr. Deplorable, is remotely menacing—Fry draws heroes and evildoers alike as egg-headed, out-of-shape has-beens with such names as Professor Tuba and the Pollinator. The Smear, whose superpower is staining people, has been hired by Victor’s parents to tutor Victor in the art of supervillainy in a world in which superhero battles are all staged, “just like pro wrestling.” Kids who like their humor absurdist may be entertained, but with low-as-can-be stakes and what’s essentially a cast of losers, it may not impress diehard superhero fans. Ages 8–14. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

      • premium: True
      • source: Kirkus
      • content:

        March 1, 2017
        A good kid trains to become a villain.Twelve-year-old white kid Victor Spoil comes from a long, long line of famous supervillains. His mother and father are known around the world as the Spoil Sports, and they've been hoping and praying that Victor will follow in their footsteps. But Victor has a problem. Victor is, unfortunately, a good person. Victor can't stand messes, doesn't roughhouse, and is polite to everyone he meets. At their wits' end, his parents call in the disgraced white supervillain the Smear to train Victor. Victor and the Smear go on the road, battling heroes in scripted fights and learning from each other along the way. The novel is harmless enough, but those thirsty for superhero action will be disappointed. With the costumes and arranged battles, these superheroes are nothing more than big-time wrestlers. The plotting is episodic, and the characterization is quite poor--everyone seems to speak in the same bland, "too cool for school" style that seems to be becoming the norm in the James Patterson Presents middle-grade books. The humor, meanwhile, is barely middle-grade, leaning heavily on underwear jokes. When all is said and done, the novel barely registers. Readers may even forget about this one as they're reading it. Entirely skippable. (Adventure. 7-10)

        COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • premium: True
      • source: School Library Journal
      • content:

        March 1, 2017

        Gr 4-6-From the author of the popular "Odd Squad" series and the syndicated comic strip Over the Hedge comes a tale where superheroes and supervillains are real, though their battles, which once destroyed Boston, are now staged like professional wrestling bouts. Our protagonist is the young Victor, a good kid born to supervillain parents. Wanting to please his mom and dad, he signs on as an apprentice to "the Smear," a supervillain whose power is the ability to stain. The narrative takes some strange turns: there are good bad guys and bad good guys, the mysterious Authority that enforces the truce between heroes and villains, helicopter parenting, and a rebellious tween. The various strands of the plot don't always flow together evenly, and readers may feel the book lacks a unifying story line as the boundary between good guys and bad guys becomes blurred. The illustrations, however, keep the tone light, and the irreverent humor that middle graders relish will go a long way to capturing their interest. VERDICT Superhero fans will enjoy this tongue-in-cheek take on the genre. For large collections.-Matthew Forster, Big Words, Clarkston, MI

        Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • premium: True
      • source: Booklist
      • content:

        April 15, 2017
        Grades 4-7 Victor Spoil's parents are a supervillain duo, the infamous Spoil Sports. Unfortunately for them, their son just doesn't have an evil bone in his body. He can't even bring himself to run with scissors! Fearing the worst for Victor, his parents decide to hire retired villain The Smear to take Victor on as an apprentice. As The Smear begins to make a bit of a comeback, he and Victor come under the attention of Dr. Deplorable, The Smear's old teammate, who wants him out of the picture, since he has knowledge of Dr. D's one weakness. While it may seem wrong to cheer for a potential bad guy, readers will learn, along with Victor, that heroes and villains are two sides of the same coin. Fry has written a hilarious story about an unlikely hero and masterfully incorporates the illustrations into the narrative, many of which continue the text in an old-school, newspaper-comic-strip format. Victor's story is sure to be a hit among reluctant readers and fans of illustrated novels.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

      • premium: True
      • source: The Horn Book
      • content:

        January 1, 2018
        Despite coming from a long line of famous supervillains, twelve-year-old Victor is "not the �cf2]good�cf1] kind of bad kid. �He's] the �cf2]bad�cf1] kind of good kid." To avoid total familial shame, Victor's parents apprentice him to a (disgraced) supervillain called The Smear. Told with a mix of text and comic strips, this new series blends humor with sly cynicism toward the superhero genre.

        (Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

popularity
473
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/5ba123c0-c3e9-4b38-97ff-1e3419fca8e5/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
5ba123c0-c3e9-4b38-97ff-1e3419fca8e5
starRating
4.2
readingOrder
1
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0017-1/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0017-1/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0017-1/5BA/123/C0/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0017-1/5BA/123/C0/{5BA123C0-C3E9-4B38-97FF-1E3419FCA8E5}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Comic and Graphic Books
      • value: Juvenile Fiction
      • value: Juvenile Literature
publishDateText
05/02/2017
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780316318693
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription
In this rollicking middle-grade adventure and national bestseller, Michael Fry's witty text and hysterical artwork combines superhero action with classic fish-out-of-water humor.
Victor Spoil comes from a long line of famous supervillains and he's fully expected to join their ranks one day. But to his family's utter disappointment, Victor doesn't have a single bad-guy bone in his body. He won't run with scissors, he always finishes his peas, and he can't stand to be messy. Hopeless!
As a last-ditch effort before they give up and let him be a — gasp! — civilian, Victor's exasperated parents send him to apprentice under a disgraced supervillain called The Smear. This matchup starts off as a complete disaster, but Victor and The Smear eventually find that they have a lot to learn from each other. When the stakes get high as Victor is forced to choose between his mentor and his family morals (or lack thereof) . . . what will the world's nicest bad guy do?
sortTitle
How to Be a Supervillain How to Be a Supervillain Series Book 01
lexileScore
360
crossRefId
2946700
series
How to Be a Supervillain
publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
atos
3.2
bisacCodes
      • code: CGN004080
      • description: COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS / Superheroes
      • code: JUV001010
      • description: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / Survival Stories
      • code: JUV071000
      • description: Juvenile Fiction / Superheroes