Joshua Dread: The Nameless Hero

Gr 4–7—In the second book (Delacorte, 2013) in Bacon's series, Joshua Dread and his friends are looking forward to the summer after an eventful year in middle school. Then, Joshua and Sophie receive cryptic notes that mark them as "the chosen" and warn of impending danger. The two friends are invited to Gyfted and Talented, a summer camp for those with superpowers. Joshua's best friend, Milton, tags along and soon the trio, along with new friends, are training to be the next famous group of superheroes. When Joshua becomes the "Nameless Hero" and a celebrity, his friends experience a bit of jealousy and he struggles to make things right. Beneath the excitement of fame and fortune lurks a dark secret, and it will be up to the group to work together to try to stop evil Phineas Vex. Joshua is a great protagonist who is conflicted about being a superhero because his parents are supervillains. Maxwell Glick animates the cartoonlike style of the story with his narration. His voicing captures just the right vivacity of the superheroes and menace of the villains. Bacon has created a fun story that stresses the importance of friendship and family and has just the right amount of dramatic suspense.—Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY