Every kid dreams of being a superhero, but Eddie Hertz has the tools to make it a reality. Wanted: A Superhero to Save the World written by Bryan Davis is a great book with some wonderful family values worked into a funny, winsome, and catchy story. Eddie Hertz lives with his sister, Samantha, and his mom. Their dad has passed away in a car accident before the book begins. Eddie is a very smart twelve year old boy who has invented many gadgets that allow him to be a super hero of sorts-or a wannabe super hero.
Eddie has a strong desire to be a super hero but feels small and is nervous to try his greatest invention. That all changes when he is unexpectedly cast into a role that forces him to become a hero or walk away from all that he has worked so hard for. One of my favorite themes throughout this book is that heroic things are never easy. Eddie is faced many times with the choice to give up and turn back or to face the hard task in front of him and do his very best. What a great picture of our Christian walk as we face hard things in life and also have choices to make.
I love how central Eddie's family is in his life. He struggles with his younger sister, Samantha (Sam), but always treats her well and never leaves her out. They learn to work together as a team. Mom also is included in the team. This means that when Eddie does face hard tasks, he is not alone-again like our Christian walk with Christ. Eddie and his sister are not given the answers as they face danger and overcome obstacles-they must figure them out and learn for themselves, but they are encouraged and guided on the way by adults who love them and have their best interests at heart.
Wanted: Super Heroes is a great read and a great start to the series. It's aim at pre-teen to early teen readers is perfect although it is a book that would work well as a family read aloud for all ages. The themes that I found in this book that encouraged me and made me excited to share this book with others include: family, together, truth, facing hard things, facing fear, and unity. I also like how the book handles the dad's death and Eddie and Samantha dealing with the sadness and pain of being without a dad. You will laugh, cry, and be drawn in to Eddie's world as you enjoy this book.
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