Captain Nobody (MG)

Pitchford, Dean. 2009. Captain Nobody. Penguin. 195 pages.

Uh-oh. This is not good.
I'm falling.
I'm not going to scream and yell about it, cuz I'm not the kind of kid who makes a lot of noise, but I'd like you to understand how critical my situation is. I--who am normally so terrified of heights that I avoid standing on tiptoe--I...
....am....
....FALLING!
A very, very long way.
How'd this happen?

I really enjoyed this one. It was a great little book. (And I'd definitely recommend it!) Our hero is Newt Newman. Yes, his parents actually named him Newton. And, for the most part, he's invisible. His older football-playing brother, Chris, is used to attention, used to the spotlight. But Newt, well, Newt is used to being a part of the background. Until. One Halloween he dresses up (quite accidentally) and becomes Captain Nobody. He likes the feeling so much--there are circumstances as to just why--that he decides to keep wearing his superhero costume. (The costume is actually some of his older brother's clothes. C.N. are his brother's initials, but he turns them into a new name for himself, Captain Nobody.) Anyway, the book is all about his (accidental) adventures. How he becomes a hero, becomes a somebody. This one just works well. It's quirky and charming and sweet and memorable.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews