The Minor Miracle: The Amazing Adventures of Noah Minor

Noah Minor knew he was no ordinary child because, mysteriously and miraculously, he had survived a fall from the 16th story of a New York City apartment building when he was 9 months old. The framed New York Times article that hung from his bedroom wall reminded him daily of what had happened to him.

Growing up, Noah pretended to be a superhero, loving flamboyant capes and pretending to fly. But now, 12-year-old Noah knows he’s too old for such fantasies. He struggles with the fact that his seventh-grade peers at Rim Rock Middle School think he’s an ordinary kid and don’t even know about his unbelievable survival story. But Noah is undaunted. He has a plan that will earn him a place with the gifted and exceptional kids at his school.

However, Noah’s world is turned upside down when a standard eye test reveals something about him that is beyond his wildest dreams: he is a gravitar, a person with the ability to manipulate gravity, and he is being recruited to be a secret agent for Gravitas, a top-secret government agency.

When Noah learns that his great-uncle Saul is on Gravitas’s most-wanted list and that the agency is hoping they can use Noah to trap his great-uncle, the boy becomes conflicted. Whom can he trust—Gravitas or great-uncle Saul, each trying to win his loyalty?

As Noah grapples with what it means to exercise his unique gift, he repeatedly comes up against his pride, duplicity, and selfishness, and he discovers that whenever he wants to impress others, he causes damage and looks foolish. He begins to understand that being a hero is “addictive.”

Slowly, as events unfold and Noah and his good friends Haley and Rodney face danger, Noah learns hard lessons about the use of one’s gifts: “It’s no good using your powers if you can’t control them. In fact, it's dangerous.” “With great power there must also come—great responsibility.” “You can’t use your powers whenever you feel like it, ... like some sort of vigilante.”

Illustrator Billy Yong’s attractive pictures are a delightful addition to this novel for middle school readers, which is packed with humor, fantasy, real-life middle school problems, moral choices, loyal friendships, and magnificent action scenes. Author Meredith Davis points gently to Noah’s faith in God, whom he calls on in his time of need.

(WaterBrook)