Just Like Click

by Sandy Grubb

Overview

Nick Townley has lived his entire life— all eleven years— at Black Butte Ranch, nestled in the foothills of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. While his parents push him to study, practice sports, and make friends, Nick prefers to retreat into his superhero universe and create exciting Adventures of Click comics. When a string of robberies threatens Dad’s job, forcing them to move across the country, Nick’s world implodes. He loves his home, and what will he do about the $237,000 in cash under his bed that Great Gramp gave him before he died? Desperate to stop the move, Nick steps off his comic book pages and ventures into the night as Click, an undercover superhero. Catching thieves would be a lot easier if he had actual superpowers. When three new kids discover his identity and want to join him, Nick vows to stay undercover… until he realizes even a superhero needs friends. But can he ask them to put their lives in danger to save his home? What would Click do?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646034390
Publisher:	Regal House Publishing
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Pages:	188
Sales rank:	363,067
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sandy Grubb has been writing children’s stories since she was a child herself. Her debut novel, Just Like Click, won the esteemed Kraken Book Prize, recognizing finely crafted middle grade fiction. When not at home in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Sandy and her family can often be found exploring nature trails and playing badminton at Black Butte Ranch.

Editorial Reviews

2024-02-06
In Grubb’s middle-grade novel, a boy finds that it’s not easy being a kid—and it’s even harder if you’re also a superhero.

It’s the summer before he starts sixth grade at Black Butte Ranch in Oregon, and he feels as if everything in his world is changing—especially since his beloved Great Gramp died. Nick and his grandfather invented Click, a superhero character, and the boy still loves working on a Click comic book. He’s a huge fan of comic-book hero Superman, but his old friends left their love of superheroes behind and got into team sports, and Nick’s dad wishes his son would do the same; meanwhile, Nick’s mom has him doing book reports over summer break. As a result, Nick feels like nothing he does is good enough. On top of everything else, Nick’s dad is about to lose his job and move the family to a big city. What nobody seems to notice is that Nick has unusual gifts: He’s an artist who has a great understanding of animals, and he has a big heart. The summer takes a turn for the better when he makes some new friends who like him for who is. When the townsfolk discover that someone has been going around doing good deeds at night, Nick relies on his friends to help him keep his identity a secret. Each chapter opens with a clever and beautifully drawn full-page grayscale comic by Tisdel starring Click and a cast of characters inspired by Nick’s life. The story is compulsively readable, as the pace is dynamic—sometimes exciting and other times tender and contemplative. Nick’s character is easy to relate to in a story that highlights his creativity, self-doubt, grief, patience, and genuine dedication to serving others. The prose is never patronizing and always deeply engaging, with descriptive passages that put the reader in Nick’s shoes; one feels his attachment to his home and to his developing relationships. Each character has their own distinct voice, backstory, and sensibilities, all filtered through Nick’s perspective.

A skillfully written and illustrated tale about an imaginative tween.

Kirkus Reviews