Hero

My 8 yo daughter absolutely loved this book so I bought it so my husband and I could read it. Imagine my surprise when my husband corrected our pronunciation of the author's last name (he was familiar with him from ESPN, go figure). My family is superhero crazy- both my girls devour the Avengers, X-men, Spiderman, etc. (the kid friendly versions). And I'll have to say that Super Hero Squad is one funny cartoon.Anyway, this book is about a 14 yo that ends up with super powers when his father dies unexpectedly. It's your classic good vs. evil book although it keeps you guessing on who the good guys and bad guys are. And ultimately, its the struggle of good vs. evil within ourselves too.Theology: I am my own godThere's was an old man character in the book with mystical powers and I wondered if he was going to end up as a God-type character, but he didn't.The main character, Zach Harriman, struggles with grief over his father's passing while dealing with his new death which brings on lots of internal anger. In the end he has to decide what kind of man he's going to be (good). But ultimately, he decides on self-reliance, a typical theme in our American culture where we believe its all about us and we can do everything ourselves.This is more of a statement on our culture and not a condemnation of the book. We believe that in America if you try hard enough you will succeed (the American dream) but peace comes when we release ourselves to follow our Creator. Submission is the key to happiness, not self-reliance.If you ask Mike Lupica (interview at [...]), he says "All of my books are about kids getting knocked down and then showing readers what they are made of by getting back up." "I always tell the kids in audience that we grew up in different times," Lupica said. "When I grew up I didn't have ESPN or cable or laptops and, of course, they do. But, despite that, we are exactly the same because we both love a good story and understand that no piece of technology is better than opening a book to page one and knowing that you are walking into a world that you have never inhabited before."That's certainly admirable.Rating: GThere is mild violence in the book but its not graphic at all. It's a comic book turned novel with lots of great dialog, sports metaphors, and cultural relevance.Social issues:The book deals with bullying a little, but its more about dealing with grief, internal anger, and finding your way in lifeThis book is one of the 20 books up for this year's Bluebonnet Awards for the state of Texas. Kids in 3rd-6th grades get to vote for their favorite book and this one might just win. It's safe for kids and a good read. It will appeal to boys as well as girls, and husbands who watch ESPN.

I loved, loved, loved this book! Mike Lupica first won me over with his sports-themed novels (Travel Team, The Million-Dollar Throw), then he upped the ante with his two-hankie Miracle on 49th Street. Hero is his best book yet, and it is a total departure from his usual work: it's a superhero story, and it's totally believable. The first chapter is told by Tom Harriman, American hero, spy, and Presidential advisor--a larger-than-life guy on a mission to kidnap a terrorist from a foreign fortress so he can be returned to the U.S. for trial. Picture Arnold Schwarzeneger in True Lies, but without the accent. The rest of the story is told by Harriman's eighth-grade son, Zach. Zach HAS to take over because, as we soon discover, his dad is killed before completing the mission. At first Zach's story is about grieving for his father and trying to pick up the pieces of his life. However, when he visits the scene of his father's death, he exposes himself to unexpected danger AND discovers he has super powers. Soon, the fate of Zach's family--not to mention the entire nation--depends on Zach's ability to develop and use his gifts to defeat the Bads. This story will first move you, then keep you on the edge of your seat 'till the shocking conclusion. Luckily for us, Hero is the first book in a planned series featuring Zach Harriman, superhero.Dawn Butcher, 7-12 Library Media Specialist Million-Dollar ThrowThe BatboyMiracle on 49th StreetTrue Lies

Not as good as i thought it would be. The writing was hard to understand, and it was very confusing. The story has no point to it. Watch Shazam! If you like superhero movies/stuff about kids.

I ordered Travel Team and Hero by the same author Mike Lupica mainly for the book Hero which I had seen in a store and Travel Team because while researching Hero on Amazon.com it had good reviews. When they arrived luckily I picked up Travel Team and read it first. I thought it was a great young adult fiction book. I loved the characters and the story and was disappointed when it ended it left me wanting more and there were unaswered questions. After finishing the book I went back to Amzon.com and discovered thre was a second book Summer Ball which I am now reading. After finishing Travel Team I read Hero, a big disappointment. Thank,goodness I didn't read it first. For suspense the main character keeps going back and forth asking "Uncle John" and Mr. Edmond questions about his father and his death and they keep giving him cryptic vague double-speak answers that I guess is suspose to be suspenseful. Do people realy answer questions that way with vague nonsenesical answers. Also for a book with the title Hero there is very little action. Read Travel Team and skip Hero

This is one of the greatest books I've ever read, read it once like 5-6 years and I loved it so much I just had to buy it!!

This book was very original and heartwarming. Felt as if I was watching a movie! Hard to understand at first for me, but overall amazing

This book really deserve a 5 star rating. It arrived in excellent condition with no marks. I am pleased with book and seller.

This is seriously one of my favorite super hero books of all time. I give it 5 stars! I wish he would write a sequel to it. I could not put it down. I'm 22 years old and needed something different to read. This was it!!! Everyone should pick up this book if you love the superhero thing. I love the characters and how Zach gets his powers. I love the secrets that are revealed. All in all a wonderful story so buy it!!!