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HERO by Mike Lupica


copyright date: November 2010
primarily marketed for: grade 6 and up

Hero by Mike Lupica was a refreshingly fast-paced exciting book to read after slogging through Matthew Cody’s Powerless as a class read aloud to prepare for our author visit with the author.  Although both books are appropriate for a 6th grade audience, Hero is much more appealing for students beyond 6th grade. 

Hero starts out describing a few moments of Zach’s father’s life, from his father’s point of view.  The rest of the book flips to a third person account of Zach’s adventures after his father is gone.  Zach begins to discover he has superpowers, but Lupica manages to tell this superhero story so well that it almost seems plausible. 

The story is set in New York City. Being a fan of the city, I enjoyed the talk about landmarks and the city feel to the book.  Not to mention, how fun it is to imagine living Zach’s life as the child of parents who serve the president and presidential hopefuls.  It is a charmed life, and he even has a live-in caretaker whose daughter is conveniently Zach’s best friend.

Although the action of this story is wrapped up at the end, and we are sure we know who to trust and who is a “Bad,” it is clear by the ending of this book that Lupica is planning a sequel (maybe even a series). 

I enjoyed this departure from his usual sports themed stories.  If you are into the idea of superheroes, you are sure to like Hero.   
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