IMAGINATION IS A SUPER POWER by Jane Kelley

 

This is Clint McCool. He's a typical kid. He's not that keen on school. Or following rules. He's obsessed with Super Heroes. And having super powers. His best friend Marco made him that cap with buttons to control his super powers. Sadly, Clint McCool learns that real life isn't like the comics or movies. The buttons are just buttons. They can't really make him invisible. Or go back in time. Or translate what grown-ups are talking about. How can Clint McCool ever save the day -- and get out of trouble?

Actually Clint McCool HAS a super power. He has an imagination. 

That's not a super power, I hear you say.

You're wrong. It is the most powerful of all. 

I'll prove it. What super power would you like to have?

Healing ability -- Some people used their imaginations to see mold as a powerful medicine. To attach adhesive to strips of plastic. And decorate them with cartoon characters. To think of the right words to say to someone who is suffering.

Time manipulation -- Do you want a particular day to last forever? Write it down. Take a picture. Conjure it back whenever you are stuck in a day that you wish would end. 

Talking to animals -- Use your imagination to find the meaning in a meow or the wag of a tail.

Clairsentience -- What??? The ability to know an object's history by touching it. 

That, my friends, is what writers do all the time. 

I could go on and on. You get my point. 

You have a powerful mind. You can nurture those powers. Feed it with new ideas. Give it space to grow. Give it a purpose. And then you, like Clint McCool, will be able to save the day. 

JANE KELLEY used her super power to write many novels for kids, including The Escapades of Clint McCool, which has fantastic illustrations by Jessika von Innerebner.