Fourth-grade superheroes ready for action

BROOKSVILLE –
Who knew there were 38 comic book superheroes attending class at Pine Grove Elementary School?

Jessica Kinkade and Melodie Hall’s fourth grade class at the school did, if it’s the comic books they created characters for, wrote and drew themselves.

“This is actually my first year doing this,” Kinkade said, who combined ideas from what other teachers had done in the past with her own to create the assignment. “It was just really important for me to have them do something creative where they can use their imagination, and have a good memory of fourth grade.”

To celebrate a successful year, the students got to dress up Friday as the superheroes they’d created and have a “super food” feast before the holiday break.

For the “Reading Warrior,” who also goes by Gracie Couch, strength for combating a book-incinerating bomb-thrower called “Dr. Destroyer” comes from ABC Cheez-Its.

“I think it’s a good experience for the kids, and I’m glad they were able to get a comic book,” parent Jenny Paesch said. “When they grow up, they’ll have something to look back on.”

C.J. Smith, who is a fan of history, was dressed as “The History Bull.”

“I can shoot fireballs,” Smith said. “And my villain is Adolf Hitler.”

A likely ally of Smith’s is Emily Goodell, who defends what is good and just as “The Reading Rainbow Warrior” and fights the book-burning “Dr. Evil.”

Dr. Evil doesn’t have lasers in his eyes that he uses to burn books, Goodell tells Kinkade, he just burns them.

Michael Walton’s “Mathematic Wiz” is a superhero that those with strong math skills might be able to relate to. His nemesis is reading.

Kinkade, dressed Friday as “The Aloha Warrior,” did something heroic herself in addition to educating Hernando County students: “I brought coffee for the parents,” she said.

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