Benny’s Superpower 1 Benny crumpled the paper in front of him, launched it
toward the trash basket, and missed.
2 It was his third missed basket in a row. And the third time
he’d messed up his drawing for Fine Arts Night. At first, he’d
been excited to try out his new markers. But now Benny felt
frustrated. Using markers meant he couldn’t erase his mistakes.
3 “There are no mistakes in art,” his older sister, Luz, told him.
4 Easy for her to say, thought Benny. Her art was amazing. He
flipped through the comic book she’d made him, looking for
inspiration. For Benny, it said. Drawing is your superpower!
5 None of the drawings in Benny’s sketchbook were as super
as Luz’s though. He’d have to make something really cool if he
was going to show it at Fine Arts Night.
6 Benny opened to a fresh blank page.
7 “Drawing is my superpower,” he repeated aloud. Then he
tried again.
8 The next day, in art class, Benny showed his friend Derrick
his drawing.
9 “These are my new comic book characters: Dr. Electro and
Lady Lava,” Benny explained.
10 “Why is Dr. Electro’s head so big? Derrick asked curiously.
11 “It just kind of turned out that way,” said Benny.
12 “Is that ketchup?” Derrick asked, pointing at Lady Lava.
13 Embarrassed, Benny slid his drawing between the pages of
his notebook.
14 “Can I take a look?” asked Mr. Miranda, their art teacher. “It’s not really finished yet,” said Benny. “Dr. Electro’s head
is too big. And I messed up the lava.”
16 “Tell me about these characters,” said Mr. Miranda.
17 “Dr. Electro is an evil genius who can control electricity,”
said Benny. “And Lady Lava was born in a volcano.”
18 “Well, of course Dr. Electro has a big head. If he’s a genius,
he must have an oversized brain.” Mr. Miranda grinned. Benny
grinned back.
19 “Maybe Lady Lava’s secret identity is she works in the school
cafeteria?” Derrick added. “That’s why she shoots ketchup.”
20 Benny’s grin became a giggle.
21 “Why not?” said Mr. Miranda. “Art isn’t meant to be perfect.
It’s meant to tell a story.”
22 But Benny worried not everyone would understand the story
behind his drawing. So when Mr. Miranda collected the
artwork for Fine Arts Night, Benny didn’t hand his in.
23 “Let me know if you change your mind,” Mr. Miranda told
him at the end of class.
24 For the rest of the school day, Benny wondered if he’d made
the right decision.
25 As he packed up his backpack to go home, he took one last
peek at his drawing. Then he went to find Mr. Miranda in the
art hallway.
26 “I decided I want to hang my artwork for Fine Arts Night,”
said Benny.
27 Mr. Miranda helped him tape it to the wall. Seeing it up,
Benny felt proud. He realized there was one mistake you could
make in art: not believing in yourself.

TASK:

Answer the following questions to help you support the theme. Then, write a theme statement and use details from the story to support it (a paragraph 4-6 sentences).

1. What is Benny like at the beginning of the story?

2. What problem does Benny encounter?

3. How does Benny respond to his problem?

4. What is Benny like at the end of the story?

5. State your theme in a sentence and use details to support it (paragraph 4-6 sentences).

6. How did the author approach the theme (key events, dialogue, developing characters). Explain using details to support your answer.