Captain Nobody

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 (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

July 27, 2009
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.