by Dan SantantArthur A. Levine/Scholastic, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher
Here's another great stand-alone graphic novel that will be a welcome addition to my classroom library.
This is the story of an aging superhero, Captain Amazing, who's going to audition for a new sidekick. (Captain Amazing lives in Metro City, where he belongs to the Society of Superheroes. It's a little like the Imagine Nation in THE ACCIDENTAL HERO
.)This is also the story of the faithfulness of pets. Captain Amazing's dog (Roscoe), hamster (Fluffy), chameleon (Shifty), and his cat (Manny), all have super powers of their own and all are all willing to do whatever it takes to help/cover for Captain Amazing.
The contrasting background in this graphic novel is used mostly for nighttime scenes, but there is one sequence in sepia that is a flashback. It will be interesting to introduce my fourth graders to another way color change in the background is used (most often it denotes dream sequences).
Peanut allergies have an important part in this story. I'm thinking that there are plenty of kids out there who will be heartened by the fact that even a superhero can have a peanut allergy. (Think kryptonite...)
Another one for my growing list of graphic novel "must haves." Thanks, Mary Lee!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for this one. I showed the trailer when my class was making book trailers and they loved it.
ReplyDeleteYour goal is to pick books I don't need to buy. HAHA like that will ever happen.
Looks like a good one! One I'll definitely have to pick up. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove reading what you have to say about all these kids' books-who says you have to be a kid to love them? Fulcrum Publishing is also trying to get kids excited this summer so we're offering a free giveaway for anyone who wants to enter-I hope your readers can take advantage!
ReplyDeletehttp://fulcrumpublishing.wordpress.com/
this looks like a great story. I like the note about the peanut allergy, and how kryptonite can be something simple, something common. It brings super heroes to a new level, like you said, and shows that they are not too unlike the everyday people. And, if they can have an allergy like us, maybe we can have a little extra courage like them.
ReplyDelete