Henry Jaffa, son of superhero Orangeman and teacher Jenny, has powers—but only sometimes, and never when he really needs them. Hoping he’s not alone, Henry invites other kids like him to Christmas lunch, and the League of Not Really Very Super Heroes is born!

Their first mission? Rescue Prince Derek, who they believe has been replaced by a super-realistic robot. The adult heroes think it’s nonsense, but Henry and his friends know better—teenagers can always spot a fake.

With time running out, the League must find the real prince before the robot embarrasses the Royal Family on live TV and drags Orangeman’s reputation down with it.

But with their unreliable powers, can they pull off the rescue?

And what’s with all the Mars Bars? Everything, as it turns out!

Paul A. Mendelson is a BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and author. He has created several hit BBC sitcoms, including May to December and My Hero. His ITV drama Losing It, with Martin Clunes, was much acclaimed. Paul has written twelve books, for adults and children. He scripts his books and several have been optioned for movies. His novel Must Have GSOH was the only UK Finalist in the 2023 Screencraft Cinematic Book Contest.

Paul explains: “A few years ago I created a comedy series for BBC1 called My Hero. Starring Ardal O’ Hanlon as Thermoman, it was a prime time 8.30 show and ran for six seasons (51 episodes) making it one of the longest-running family comedy shows ever. It has been shown in the US and over 70 countries. Whilst being an 8.30 show, it was the most watched TV programme by children under 12. It is still shown on various channels today.

I always thought there was an overlooked area, one I wanted to explore. What might happen to the child of a ‘mixed’ hero marriage (earthling and alien superhero) and how could this work out. Whilst also being a funny but compelling adventure.

These aren’t the characters from My Hero, nor are the situations similar. (In My Hero the babies all had amazing superpowers). But the same anarchic style, quirkiness and humour are here.”

RELEASE DATE: 28/06/2025 ISBN: 9781835742303 Price: £8.99