What This Book Is About

Murph Cooper has a problem. His mum has enrolled him at a new school—except it's not a normal school. It's a school for children with superpowers. There's a girl who can control the weather, a boy who can grow to the size of a house, and a kid who can fly (but only a little bit). The problem? Murph has no superpowers at all. He's completely, utterly, embarrassingly normal. And in a school full of heroes, being normal might just be the most dangerous thing of all.

Written by BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James and children's author Chris Smith, Kid Normal is a riotously funny adventure that turns the superhero genre on its head. Think Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Incredibles, with laugh-out-loud jokes on every page, wild illustrations by Erica Salcedo, and a heart of gold underneath all the chaos. The book launched a bestselling four-book series and has become a go-to recommendation for reluctant readers who think they don't like books—until they pick this one up and can't put it down.

Available at Popular bookstores, Kinokuniya, and the Singapore National Library.

Why UWC Chose This Book

Not every book on a reading list needs to be "serious." Kid Normal earns its place because it solves a real problem: getting reluctant readers to read. For Grade 4 students who are still building their English fluency, the short chapters, non-stop humour, and fast-paced plot make reading feel like play rather than work. Once a child finishes this book and reaches for the sequel, a reading habit has been born.

Beyond the laughs, Kid Normal carries a message perfectly aligned with UWC values: you don't need to have special powers to be a hero. Murph succeeds not because he's extraordinary but because he's brave, loyal, and willing to stand up when it matters. In a school that celebrates diversity and personal contribution over competition, this is exactly the kind of story that reminds students their "ordinary" qualities—kindness, persistence, friendship—are their real superpowers.