CHARACTER COUNTS: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World
By Shannon Hale
Marvel, 2017. Fiction. 324 p
Doreen was born with a beautiful bushy tale and the ability to talk with squirrels. Her parents always urged her to keep her tale and squirrel skills hidden so that other kids wouldn't feel bad that they didn't have them. When Doreen moves to a new state and starts at a new middle school, she finds it hard to make friends, and to keep her amazing Squirrel Girl abilities a secret.

Hale has created a really likable female superhero character. Not only does Doreen have a squirrel's tale and strength, she also has a squirrel's chipper, slightly hyper personality. Her positive and caring attitude is contagious, and soon she has groups that had been enemies working together. That's what makes this a "character counts" book. I think both boys and girls will love this latest addition to the Marvel cannon. (note: this is not a graphic novel, and can be found in the J Fiction section under SUPER SQUIRREL)

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