Captain Awesome to the Rescue!

March 26, 2012
The all-too-perfectly named Kirby (alluding to comic book giants Stan Lee and Jack Kirby) kicks off an early chapter book series that introduces eight-year-old Eugene McGillicudy, who views life through the lens of comics and believes himself to be a superhero: Captain Awesome. “That’s one of the cool things about being a superhero,” Eugene says. “You get to pick your own name.” Dressed in his superhero finest (a hoodie, a pair of shorts outside his pants, and a towel cape), Captain Awesome sees villains everywhere: his baby sister is Queen Stinkypants; his teacher Ms. Beasley becomes Miss Beastly; and class meanie Meredith is dubbed Little Miss Stinky Pinky. O’Connor (Kapow!) opens each chapter with crayoned cartoons “drawn” by Eugene that, along with more polished spot art—complete with sound effects like “Bonk!” “Pow!” and “MI-TEE!” (Captain Awesome’s superhero rally call)—bring Eugene’s imagined feats of daring to life, as he investigates the disappearance of class pet Turbo the hamster. Action, comedy, and hyperbole should easily hook readers, especially those who share Eugene’s love of comics. Simultaneously available: Captain Awesome vs. Nacho Cheese Man. Ages 5–7.

Starred review from February 1, 2012
The town of Sunnyview got a little bit safer when 8-year-old Eugene McGillicudy moved in. Just like his comic-book mentor, Super Dude, Eugene, aka Captain Awesome, is on a one-man mission is to save the world from supervillains, like the nefarious "Queen Stinkypants from Planet Baby." Just as Eugene suspected, plenty of new supervillains await him at Sunnyview Elementary. Are Meredith Mooney and the mind-reading Ms. Beasley secretly working together to try and force Eugene to reveal his secret identity? Will Principal Brick Foot succeed in throwing Captain Awesome into the "Dungeon of Detention?" Fortunately, Eugene isn't forced to go it alone. Charlie Thomas Jones, fellow comic-book lover and Super Dude fan, stands ready and willing to help. When the class hamster goes missing, Captain Awesome must don his cape and, with the help of his new best friend, ride to the rescue. Kirby's funny and engaging third-person narration and O'Connor's hilarious illustrations make the book easily accessible and enormously appealing, particularly to readers who have recently graduated to chapter books. But it is the quirky, mischievous Eugene that really makes this book special. His energy and humor are contagious, and his dogged commitment to his superhero alter ego is enough to make anyone a believer. As Captain Awesome would say, this kid is "MI-TEE!" (Fiction. 5-8)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 1-3-Eight-year-old Eugene's family has just moved, and he can't imagine anything worse than being the new kid in school. Fortunately for his new town, he moonlights as Captain Awesome, ready to protect Sunnyview from bad guys, homework, and his baby sister (Queen Stinkypants). School turns out to be better than expected, thanks to a superhero-loving new friend, a class pet, and a not-half-bad teacher. The real fun begins when the classroom hamster goes missing, and Captain Awesome comes to the rescue. Rambunctious antics and lively cartoon illustrations abound. The art is as vivacious and entertaining as the protagonist himself. Readers who are new to chapter books will love meeting Eugene and will look forward to more of his adventures.-Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, WI

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2012
Grades K-3 In this series starter, eight-year-old Eugene McGillicudy, aka self-proclaimed Captain Awesome, is new to town, and he is determined to keep everyone safe from Baron Von Booger and Dr. Spinach and to protect his secret lair from nemesis Queen Stinkypants from Planet Baby (i.e., his toddler sister). But school is off to a rocky startteacher Ms. Beasley is potentially a mind reader (how does she know his name?), and he is targeted by mean girl Meredith. On the upside, he meets a possible new sidekick named Turbo, the class hamster, and Charlie, a fellow superhero fan. But when Turbo vanishes, it's up to Captain Awesomeand Charlieto find him. The peppy narrative has a comic booklike melodramatic, hyperbolic flair, which conveys both Eugene's reality (including fitting in and finding friends) and his humorous view of the world. Large, wide-spaced text, short chapters, and interspersed simple black-and-white cartoonish drawings are new-reader friendly, though occasional invented words add zing but can be unwieldy (gigantist, enormondoist). Overall, this is a fun, accessible read for comics buffs and aspiring superheroes of the everyday kind.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)