Incredibles 2

Suzanne Francis's Incredibles 2 is a superhero story for 8 year olds about a family of Supers where Mum gets the big hero job and Dad stays home with the kids.

What happens

The Parr family can all do amazing things. Helen stretches. Bob is super strong. Violet makes force fields and turns invisible, and Dash runs faster than anyone. The only problem is that being a Super is against the law.

So when they stop a giant drilling machine from smashing into city hall, they end up in trouble with the police rather than thanked. Soon the family is stuck in a tiny motel room with nowhere to go.

Then a rich businessman called Winston Deavor has a plan to make Supers popular again. He wants Elastigirl to go first, wearing a hidden camera so everyone can see the good she does. Mr Incredible is NOT happy about being picked second (his face when he hears is priceless).

While Helen races after a runaway train, Bob is left in charge at home. He has Dash's maths homework to crack (and some very strong feelings about why anyone would change how maths is done). Violet's first date has gone wrong. And baby Jack-Jack suddenly starts showing powers, taking on a raccoon in the garden with laser eyes and about six copies of himself!

That's where most of the giggles are. Bob pretending everything's fine on the phone while the house falls apart is very relatable for any parent. There's plenty of action for younger fans too, with a new villain called the Screenslaver sending messages through screens.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Winston tells the story of his dad being shot by burglars when he was a boy, and says his mum died a few months later. It's backstory, told in conversation, but it's quite a sad bit for this shelf. There's also some mind control, which might spook a more nervous reader.

If your reader already loves the film, this is a great way to relive it on the page. If they haven't seen it, there's lots here that works on its own.

What to read next

For another Pixar story from the same writer, Finding Dory follows a little blue fish who keeps forgetting things as she tries to find the family she lost when she was small.