Captain Nobody

by Dean Pitchford

Overview

When Newt Newman's football-star brother, Chris, is knocked into a coma during the biggest game of the season, Newt's two best friends keep his mind off of the accident by helping him create the ultimate Halloween costume: Captain Nobody. Newt feels strong and confident in his new getup, so he keeps wearing it after Halloween is over. Soon Newt assumes the role of a hero in a string of exploits that include foiling a robbery and saving a planeload of passengers. But will Captain Nobody be able to save the one person he cares about most?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142416679
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/13/2010
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,107,827
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 5.22(h) x 0.59(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dean Pitchford, author of The Big One-Oh and Captain Nobody, starred on Broadway in Pippin and Godspell before turning to songwriting and screenwriting. His multimillion-selling songs include the Oscar-winning “Fame,” “Footloose,” “Holding Out for a Hero” and “After All.” He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, five Grammys and two Tonys. His stage musical adaptation of Footloose played over 700 performances on Broadway and is now being produced around the world.

Editorial Reviews

Tired of being ignored by classmates, Newt and his two best friends decide to create Halloween costumes that will make them stand out and let them discover their “inner other.... who we would be if we didn't have to be us.” But before Halloween arrives, 10-year-old Newt's world shatters: his football star brother, Chris, is knocked unconscious in the season's final game and lies comatose in the hospital. At the last minute, Newt fashions a superhero Halloween costume from Chris's old clothes and dubs himself Captain Nobody. Wearing this outfit during the ensuing days, Newt ushers home a lost man with dementia, foils a jewelry-store robbery and inadvertently brings traffic to a standstill, clearing the freeway just in time for a plane's emergency landing. Despite his spotlight-grabbing heroics, the frustrated boy laments, “I can't even save my own brother.” Though Pitchford (The Big One-Oh) builds suspense adeptly, the novel takes some improbable turns. Yet the young narrator's earnest voice—and his raw sense of helplessness—are real and affecting. Ages 8–12. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 3–6—Ten-year-old Newt Newman is used to fading into the background: his parents are workaholics; his brother, Chris, is a high school football star; and he and his best buddies, JJ and Cecil, are ignored at school. Determined to get noticed this Halloween, the three friends vow to come up with original costumes. But then Chris takes a hit and is knocked into a coma during the Big Game. Worried about his brother, and with his parent camped out at the hospital, Newt has no interest in creating a costume. When JJ and Cecil arrive at his house for trick-or-treating, they help him transform an assortment of Chris's outgrown clothes into a get-up for a new superhero: Captain Nobody! Enjoying the newfound confidence he experiences behind his mask, Newt continues to wear the costume, and opportunities start cropping up for him to save the day—whether helping a confused old man find his way home or stopping a jewelry store robbery, Captain Nobody gets the job done. But when it comes to his brother's coma, even Captain Nobody is powerless…or is he? Newt is a likable individual, albeit quite mature for 10. Secondary characters are somewhat stereotypical, but they don't get in the way of the story's fast pace and charm. Pitchford's screenwriting background is apparent: the book reads like a summertime feel-good movie. Kids who have longed for their own superhero powers will eat this up.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

School Library Journal

Ten-year-old Newton Newman's big brother Chris is the town football star, and Newt tends to be forgotten in the glare of the spotlights on his beloved brother. After Chris is badly injured at the most important game of the season, Newt is left to deal with his fear and worry for Chris. He gets by with the help of his best friends JJ (a fantastic fiction fan) and Cecil (a wannabe drummer), who talk him into going trick-or-treating, challenging each to dress as their hero. Out of desperation and a bit of luck, Newt dresses as "Captain Nobody." He decides to wear the outfit all the time and begins to be noticed. After inadvertently foiling a robbery attempt, saving the class ferret and averting an airplane tragedy, Newt is able to hang up the superhero suit. Opening with a cliffhanger, this novel will speak to those kids who feel left out, not part of the "in-crowd." The whole premise is entirely implausible, but the humor and compassion are sure to appeal to reluctant readers. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Author Dean Pitchford is certainly an impressive narrator. With masterful characterization he introduces us to Newt—aka Captain Nobody—a mild-mannered boy who becomes a hometown hero. Pitchford captures the delicious pathos of Newt the underdog. Listeners will hear humor, disgruntlement, and even fidgeting—thanks to skilled vocalizations. Judicious use of pacing and varied volume also contribute to a dramatic reading. Pitchford even throws in sound effects and onomatopoeia. Secondary characters, such as Newt’s friend Cecil, have distinct voices. Pitchford shows us the boy behind the mask in this unexpectedly poignant laugh-out-loud tale. C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2009 - AudioFile