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 start acher 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 Awesome d Charlie find him. The peppy narrative has a comic book like 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.

Eugene's superhero alter ego, Captain Awesome, helps him start second grade at a new school, deal with bullies, handle his sister (a.k.a. Queen Stinkypants), make friends, and solve mysteries. Comic-book-style illustrations are punctuated by Eugene's own less-sophisticated doodles. Eugene's imaginative inner dialogue and his impulsive actions don't quite jibe, but chapter book readers will likely enjoy the hijinks.

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)

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)

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