• Age: 10 to 18
• Grade: 5 to 12
• Reading age: 10 to 18

These people did what?!

Join author Galadriel Watson as she takes us on a journey of discovery—a tour of the human body’s amazing abilities, featuring masters of muscle, speed demons, brain bosses, and more! Extreme Abilities is a fun and fascinating survey of what humans are capable of, with examples from around the world and throughout history. Short sketches of famous individuals, such as Louis Cyr and Usain Bolt, mixed with stories about the amazing physical feats of others not-so-famous, draw readers in and bring these astounding abilities to life in vivid color. Each chapter also features a section on how young readers can work at improving their own skills (and a section on how not to get hurt in the process), plus bite-sized related fast facts and sidebars.

Easy-to-follow explanations of anatomy, physics, and other sciences are enhanced by Cornelia Li’s energetic and engaging artwork, and photos throughout further help to illustrate the awesome displays of the human body at work.

Galadriel Watson has a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. She has written over 20 books and magazine articles for kids on all subjects, from eels to earthquakes. She lives with her family and pets in a small town in British Columbia.

Galadriel Watson's profile page

Cornelia Li is a Chinese-born illustrator currently based in Toronto. She is intrigued by narrative woven into daily interactions between people and their surroundings and she set out to capture the relationship by externalizing the ideas and emotions into elements in her images. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts, the AOI, 3x3, the National Magazine Awards and more.

Cornelia Li's profile page

“A great read for young readers who pore over Guiness World Record books and want more background on the records and feats found there . . . A popular choice for libraries.” —School Library Journal, 03/19

School Library Journal

“Entertaining and informative” —School Library Connection, 05/19

School Library Connection

“A jaw-droppingly well-researched, informative, and entertaining look at what makes us uniquely human.” —CM Reviews, 03/01/19

CM Reviews

“Brief and entertaining.”—Kirkus Reviews, 01/15/19

Kirkus Reviews

“Part record book, part science, part trivia, part challenge in a smart, kid-friendly format . . . packs a ton of interesting information for young readers to devour, while illustrations by Cornelia Li make the chapters inviting. There’s plenty of action to hold a child’s interest well. For an adult, it’s the kind of book you’ll wish you had when you were a kid.” —Williston Herald, 04/22/19

Williston Herald