The Marvel Universe continues to grow, as their next shrinking Avenger is set to appear on the big screen in July 2015 in the form of Ant-Man. Whether you are familiar with the storyline of Hank Pym and his notorious Pym Particles, you’ve probably come across some rather smaller than average characters in your life. Here are just some you may or may not have heard of that are worth checking out.

Before Ant-Man came Richard Matheson’s The Shrinking Man, written in 1956. Matheson wrote a number of episodes for the The Twilight Zone and the novels: I am Legend, Stir of Echoes and What Dreams May Come, among others. Unlike Hank Pym or Scott Lang, the protagonist in Matheson’s novel, Scott Carey, begins to shrink with no way to stop after encountering a mysterious radioactive mist. Download the e-audio book or watch the Hugo Award winning film from 1957, The Incredible Shrinking Man.

In the DC Universe, Ray Palmer AKA The Atom, also has the power to shrink, thanks to a shrinking lense fashioned from white dwarf star matter that fell to earth. His character was introduced on the hit WB television show, Arrow, in season 3.

Fantasy novels such as The Littles and The Borrowers provide fun adventures for grades 2-5. Both feature stories involving tiny families that live in the walls of homes. First published in 1952, Mary Norton’s award winning novel The Borrowers tells the story of the Clocks—who are the tiny family that live below the “Human Beans.” And published in 1967, John Lawrence Peterson’s series The Littles introduced the Little Family, who are a tiny family living in the walls of a house that face serious challenges such as invading mice!

Let’s not forget the “Atom Sucker” that Andrew Dubble creates in the series Andrew Lost! A great series for grades 3-7, Andrew’s tiny adventures cause nothing but big problems that he must rise to the occasion to solve!

I would be remiss to exclude one of the most famous literary shrinking scenes when Alice pursues the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Would you also risk the unknown by testing the “Drink Me” potion if you were in Alice’s shoes? 

Did I miss some? Please leave a comment and add to this “tiny” list!