Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt
Summary: Thirteen year-old Heck finds himself on his own as his mother takes one of her breaks from reality. Caught up in the desire to be his mother’s hero while keeping the true nature of the situation a secret so he won’t end up in another foster home, Heck ends up getting locked out of his apartment and living in a car. When people who know him try to help, Heck shuts them out, believing that if he can only find and perform the one, greatest Good Deed, he’ll even out the cosmic score and his mother will come back to him. Along the way he meets Marion, a young man with issues of his own, and Heck thinks if he can help Marion see himself as he truly is it will be the ultimate Good Deed Heck has been looking for.
Number of Pages: 142
Age Range: 13-15
Review: With a mother who has trouble with the pressures of life, Heck has learned to ease her discomfort by picking up the slack at home. His mother considers Heck to be her hero, and when things go wrong in Heck’s life it shows itself in his art as he starts drawing only superheroes, expressing his inner desire to save her.
When she disappears and the landlord forecloses on their apartment, Heck slips into his superhero persona, convinced if he just finds the right Good Deed, she’ll come back. Heck reminds me of Adam from The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten because they are both sons trying to save their mothers, Heck through being a superhero hero and Adam through his OCD behaviours and being inspired by superheroes. They’re both genuine, likeable characters who obviously care a lot about family.
I was simply absorbed by Heck’s response to his situation. Pretending to be a superhero is about powerlessness he feels over his circumstances, but I loved how he grew to realise it was also something his mother was putting on him. She wanted to be rescued; she was the one who kept calling him her hero. When Heck steps back from things and realises he doesn’t want to be the hero anymore, he just wants to be a kid, it’s a powerful moment. Especially when he is able to tell his mom how he feels.
It seems like a small detail, but I loved the bit about Mr. Bandras’ sandwiches. His wife always makes sandwiches he claims he doesn’t like so he can give them to Heck. It’s obviously a ruse, but it’s such an endearing one that shows how much Mr. (and Mrs.) Bandras care about Heck. Mr. Bandras is a teacher that goes above and beyond.
Martine Leavitt’s Heck Superhero hooked me into Heck’s unique perspective, and I found myself wondering if he too was dealing with mental illness, or if his desire to reunite his family was just so great it fostered his delusions. Either way, I hope his mother is able to pull things together and live with Heck again.
Memorable Quotes:
“Just thinking about the Good Deed made him feel better. It was the cookie at the bottom of the bag. It was the holiday coming up, the good dream the night before, the money in the pocket of a coat you hadn’t worn for a long time. It was the thing that made you feel good even though you couldn’t remember what it was that was making you feel good. It was a big stupid smile in his brain and he couldn’t help it. It came down to this: if you did a true Good Deed, you could change the microverse, maybe change it to a better one.” – Heck from Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt, pages 35-36
“It was true that everything he knew about art he’d learned from Mr. Bandras. Especially the one thing. After a few classes with Mr. Bandras, Heck had been trying to copy something exactly, drawing it just right. People always admired him for the way he could draw things exactly. Mr. Bandras, however, had come up behind him and grabbed the pencil out of his hand.
‘You are a talented boy,’ he said, ‘but we have cameras for that. Besides, you will try all your life to draw things exactly as they are, and discover you can’t draw anything the way it really is. You can only draw it the way you really are.'” – Heck reflecting on Mr. Bandras’ advice from Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt, page 57
“A new painting had been put in the window. It was of a young girl happily cutting out paper dolls from a newspaper, but as she cut, the paper bled. The dolls writhed in agony.
Heck stared. Even his teeth weren’t louder than that.
He’d always known paintings could make things happen. This painting made you want to punch something or go home and sit in the car while it ran for a long time in an enclosed space. You had to be good to do a painting like that. You had to be willing to follow your nightmares around and take tweezers to the waste products of your brain. But what if you could make a painting that made you want to share your oatmeal and bring flowers to your gramma’s grave? Instead of painting what was ugly in the world, what if you painted what was beautiful? Wouldn’t that be like a Good Deed? What if you showed the world something beautiful where no one had seen beautiful before? Like Marion – everyone treated him like mutant maladaptive, but they didn’t see that light in his eyes, didn’t see how good he was at playing.
What if a painting could be ultimate Good Deed? What if it could change the world? Or even the entire microverse of one person?
He would paint Marion.” – Heck from Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt, pages 109-110
“Heck looked up at the sky. When did he know the cosmos was so beautiful? When he was eight and he found out the galaxy swirled like the little windmill his mom had bought him at the circus? Maybe it happened the day he understood that atoms looked like the solar system. Just knowing that made him happy, made the microverse make sense. He wondered if tiny beings lived on electrons and woke up each day to a nucleus sun. Probably his own solar system was an atom in God’s body. Anything could happen in a cosmos that was part math and part magic.” – Heck from Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt, pages 112-113
Heck Superhero by Martine Leavitt is published by Red Deer Press, (2004).
Rookie by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Summary: Aaron Wong is a rookie who has moved from Vancouver to Calgary to play on the Podium Sports Academy hockey team. With a promise to his parents to keep his grades above 95%, Aaron’s under a lot of pressure on and off the ice. A new friend/love interest named Carrie in Aaron’s life inflames the jealousy of Rammer, a teammate, and when the rookies are hazed he threatens Aaron with something unspeakable. To get revenge and assuage his humiliation, Aaron ups his game, determined now more than ever to show up Rammer on the ice. But when Rammer’s violence escalates and Aaron learns of other things he’s done, silence and revenge on the ice will not be enough to fix the issue.
Number of Pages: 138
Age Range: 13-15
Review: In a new province starting a new school and getting used to a new hockey team, Aaron Wong is pretty mature for his age, pursuing his love of hockey even though it takes him away from his family. At Podium Sports Academy, everyone is an athlete, and while such a driven community fosters friendships, it also fosters competition and jealousy.
When his teammate carries his jealousy too far, Aaron decides the best way to get back at him is just to be a better hockey player. He pours his embarrassment, frustration and anger into his game, and the results speak for themselves.
While I’m not sure I agree with Aaron not telling anyone in charge what actually happened at the hazing party, I did love how he dealt with it. He could have used what happened as an excuse to get Rammer back in a physical way, but instead he becomes a better hockey player, and conquers Rammer through proving his worth on the team.
Though Nicholson makes her villain, Rammer, complicated because of the abuse he receives at home, I was quite disturbed that at the end of everything he and his friend are expelled but no more. I had a smattering of empathy for him, but believed he needed to be held accountable for his choices and actions, because being abused is still not an excuse to hurt and abuse others. I think Nicholson and Aaron’s parents have more empathy than I do in this situation, but Aaron’s parents didn’t know Carrie had been abused by Rammer too.
It was Carrie though that I cared the most about. She blamed herself for what happened with Rammer, even though it wasn’t her fault. She’s also under an enormous amount of pressure to stay thin to be a Synchro swimmer, and seems as though she has an eating disorder. Nicholson has written a separate book about her, Vegas Tryouts, and I am interested in reading it.
I like the concept of the series and Rookie turned out to be a high interest read suitable for reluctant readers. I think sports lovers will enjoy what Nicholson has to offer.
Memorable Quotes:
“If I hadn’t been in a school hallway, and in a new school, with a girl I’d just met, I would’ve kissed her on the spot. Okay, that’s a lie. I wouldn’t have. We just met. And I was kind of inexperienced with girls. But boy, did I want to.” – Aaron from Rookie by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, page 31
“I was going to fight this. I was going to slam him into the boards, slash him, spear him, and become a better player than him. I was going to work my butt off along the boards and take the puck from him. And if he wanted to fight, I’d do that too. I’d taken boxing in the summer, I knew how to throw a punch. But it would be on the ice.
And I was going to do everything I could to take his spot on the first line.” – Aaron from Rookie by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, page 66
Rookie by Lorna Schultz Nicholson is published by James Lorimer & Company Ltd Publishers, (2012).
Dawn Rider by Jan Hudson
Summary: Kit Fox has seen 16 winters in her lifetime and has grown up fearless and determined. When she has a dream that she will ride Eagle Flies Over Hills, her tribe’s horse, she manages to work around the objections others have and learns to ride him secretly, gently gaining the horse’s trust. Though female warriors among the Blackfoot tribe are rare and usually older, Kit Fox hones her skills and slowly helps her people adjust to new ways. Change is the future of the Blackfoot tribe though as getting used to Eagle Flies Over Hills and learning to use guns offered to them by the Cree takes time. War with the Snake People speeds up the progress though, as without Kit Fox, Eagle Flies Over Hills and the guns the tribe would not survive.
Number of Pages: 170
Age Range: 12-13
Review: What appears to be a relatively simple story about a girl named Kit Fox coming of age and finding her place in her Blackfoot tribe is actually an incisive look at the changes horses and guns brought to her people.
Kit Fox is a spirited character who follows her literal dreams and is the only fearless person in her tribe when it comes to trying to ride Eagle Flies Over Hills, the horse her people have captured in the spoils of war with the Snake People. But as a girl she is expected to take more traditional roles of staying close to the tipi and caring for her family instead of hunting and being a warrior.
But Kit Fox has a warrior’s heart, and she is determined to push the boundaries of gender expectations. It is she who learns to hunt with a bow and arrow, taking down her own buffalo, and she who goes for help when her tribe is ambushed by the Snake People. While she could follow her sister and co-marry the most handsomest warrior in the tribe, Kit Fox knows herself well enough to realise she wants to marry for love and be her husband’s only wife. She also knows that marriage isn’t something she’s quite ready for yet.
What I liked the most was that Kit Fox was able to be herself and her family and tribe were mostly supportive of her choices. She’s a wonderful role model for young pre-teen and teen female readers, and Dawn Rider can also be read as an anthropological look at the Blackfoot people. I learned about their customs and traditions, but also about the influence of the settlers on introducing metal and guns as trade items. It seems odd that a people reluctant to integrate horses into everyday life would be so willing to use guns, but Hudson walks her reader through their choices and adjustment.
I quite enjoyed the tale of Kit Fox and her people, and I hope one day I will be able to locate a copy of Sweetgrass to read as well.
Memorable Quotes:
“So had her people always lived, like eagle or wolf, in harmony with the universe. In her heart she gave thanks to the spirits of buffalo and deer, beaver and mink and marten. ‘So may my people live forever!’
If not for her people, the buffalo would shear the grass of the plains down to the roots – for not other creature hunted buffalo in any great number – and the dust would blow all over the world. Her grandmother said that. If not for the eagles, the ground squirrels and hares would nibble every green shoot, and there would be little food for the buffalo. Her grandmother said that. If not for the coyotes, the mice would consume all the seeds and nothing would grow on the plains in springtime. Her grandmother said that, too. All creatures had the places First Maker gave them, in the world’s harmony.” – Kit Fox from Dawn Rider by Jan Hudson, page 62
Dawn Rider by Jan Hudson is published by HarperCollins Publishers, (1990).
Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass
Summary: In Germany after World War II, Wilm and his family live under Soviet rule. It’s essentially a police state, and payback for Germany’s role in the war is harsh, affecting innocent citizens who weren’t responsible for the atrocities that took place. When sixteen year-old Wilm finds out his sister Anneliese was raped by Soviet soldiers, he uses the knowledge as motivation to fight back against the Soviets and the Germans they have placed in control of the community. His stunts start out relatively harmless but escalate with time until it is difficult to tell what makes him different from the people he is protesting against. Aided by his friends Karl and Georg, when one stunt goes terribly wrong all three must leave town to escape punishment, but getting away and starting a new life might be harder than it seems.
Number of Pages: 287
Age Range: 14-16
Review: Like Urve Tamberg’s The Darkest Corner of the World, Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass provides a previously unexplored view of World War II and its aftermath.
I love how Bass makes me think. Wilm’s story explores the themes of power and powerlessness as well as the role of social ethics after an event as traumatising as World War II. Do Germany’s actions during the war justify the actions of the Soviets afterwards? While the Nazis were considered the enemy, all of those involved in World War II surely have abuses of power to answer for.
Anneliese’s rape may have been a catalyst for Wilm, but the desire for revenge on the revenge of the Soviets was long simmering before he found out what happened to his sister. Although by writing that statement I am in no way minimising what was done to Anneliese. Rape of women and girls as a power tactic is despicable and evil whether done in war or not, and I appreciated Anneliese’s mother and Ruth’s sensitivity to her pain, as well as Bass’ thoughtful portrayal of her journey. Anneliese was my favourite character, and though Wilm was convinced he wasn’t good at protecting her, I was glad she felt safe around him.
The sub-plot of Wilm’s father was especially intriguing to me. He actually was a Nazi and lost a leg in the war, wishing he had lost his life instead. I was fascinated by the father/son dynamic, and how Wilm’s father was feeling his powerlessness so acutely that seeing his son in a position of power was threatening to him. He drinks to cope, lashing out at Wilm and trying constantly to assert his dominance but Bass is such a masterful story teller that I ended up having empathy and sympathy for him and the way things turned out. The scene where Wilm and his friends have to leave town and his father completely supports him was gut-wrenching.
Wilm himself is a teen with a profound sense of responsibility. So many things that occur during the story aren’t really his fault, but he is his harshest critic and holds himself accountable even when he doesn’t need to. He also has a well-developed reflective nature which leads to powerful insights into his true nature and the situation of his friends and family. As a result, he’s an excellent choice for a narrator.
There’s a lot to love here and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what I could have written. But when it comes to the story of Wilm what I loved the most was how Bass was able to make each character complicated, hard to completely admire or condemn. They all seem to have complex motivations for their actions which made for an intense and thought-provoking read.
Both an eye-opening piece of historical fiction and a page-turning, suspense-filled story, Graffiti Knight is an enlightening read that’s hard to put down.
Memorable Quotes:
“Did I hate him? I didn’t think so, but I’d hated how he didn’t – couldn’t – stand up to those Schupos. Couldn’t physically stand up to them because of his leg; couldn’t mentally stand up to them either. I covered my face. Oh God, that was it. His body was his prison like Leipzig was everyone’s. He was even more powerless than I was. And I wanted him to be … the man he used to be. The one who had the power to protect his family. I hated how powerless he’d become.” – Wilm reflecting on his father from Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass, page 38
“I shrugged. I knew I should be scared, but it was like my brain was a series of rooms. The fear was there, but it was locked behind a door.” – Wilm from Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass, page 73
“Our family rarely touched, I realized. Why did we deny ourselves this … What was it? Trust. A hand on a shoulder said, ‘You can trust me.’ Letting the hand remain replied, ‘I know.’ There was no trust in my family. We kept to ourselves, afraid to share our hurts, afraid the hand would be knocked away.
We were idiots.” – Wilm from Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass, page 117
“He laid down the pistol. ‘You’re scared.’
I hesitated, then nodded.
‘You never act scared. Back at the farm, you shouted a string of orders and ran into the field like a crazy man. You could’ve been shot.’
‘That occurred to me after.’
‘But not during.’
I shook my head.
‘Were you scared when you were pulling those pranks in Leipzig?’ I shook my head again. His voice dropped lower. ‘But now you’re scared.’ He snorted. ‘There were times in Leipzig I was almost crapping my shorts., but I hid it because you were fearless. Do you have any idea how much more terrifying it is to have you admit you’re afraid?'” – Conversation between Karl and Wilm from Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass, page 264
“Looking at those photographs, one thing becomes perfectly clear: it doesn’t matter which side of a conflict a person is on, war makes victims of us all.” – Historical Note from Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass, page 287
Graffiti Knight by Karen Bass is published by Pajama Press, (2013).
Drummer Girl by Karen Bass
Summary: Setting her sights on becoming the drummer of The Fourth Hand (THF) after she loses her place in her brother’s band when he goes off to university, Sid is all about the music. But THF is an all guy band sending Sid mixed messages. Some members think a girl member will break up the band, and others want her to dress more provocatively for the audience at their gigs. She’s competing against a fellow student named Wes for the spot, and even though she is clearly the more skilled drummer Sid decides to change her wardrobe to become what they want and hopefully snag the spot. Her new look is used as an excuse for sexual harassment, and Sid winds up questioning if getting the position of drummer is worth the price she has to pay as a girl.
Number of Pages: 231
Age Range: 15-17
Review: While I love Sid as a protagonist, Drummer Girl by Karen Bass makes me extremely sad. Sid begins the book with so much spirit. She is authentically herself, a girl who enjoys carpentry and drumming and is kick ass at both. But her world is shaken up when her brother goes off to university, leaving her with her father who is a workaholic with an ulcer. Drumming is an emotional release for her, as well as something she loves. Pursuing the position of drummer in The Fourth Hand changes her though, as to get the job she has to change who she is and start dressing in a way that sexualizes her. In the process she loses the friendship of her best friend Taylor who feels she isn’t being true to herself anymore while questioning his own sexuality and she is assaulted more than once.
At the very end, there’s a ray of hope as Sid is able to mend her friendship with Taylor, explain things to Brad (her new boyfriend), and even hints at starting her own band with her new friend Joanne.
The part that makes me uncomfortable is the lack of justice in the matter. I know Sid didn’t want to press charges or even tell anyone, but simple apologies just seemed so inadequate for what they did. Each band member sexually assaulted her, and one even filmed it and put it online. I had no problem with Bass’ writing because I thought she followed things through in a realistic manner, but the reality of the situation was sad and disturbing. The undercurrents of gender roles, the cost of trying to fit and the decision of how much one is willing to compromise in pursuit of their dreams are all things to be considered while reading Sid’s story, and her navigation through these themes are well explored.
I loved the use of drumming terms as chapter headings, and Sid’s ability to play both rock and roll and jazz. It’s a story with a powerful main character who can mostly take care of herself, but also learns relying on others is okay too.
Memorable Quotes:
“Which showed how little Brock knew about high school. If you didn’t fit in one of the accepted moulds, you were a freak, or an outcast, or both.” – Sid commenting on her counsellor’s naive beliefs about high school from Drummer Girl by Karen Bass, page 44
“She needed to tell someone about Wes the creep, arranger of great falls. Better yet, shout it from the rooftops. Except she didn’t want to tell Brad. What Rock had done to her had tarnished the wonderfulness of Brad’s kisses. It shouldn’t have, one had nothing to do with the other, but thinking about it made her want to gargle. Again.” – Sid from Drummer Girl by Karen Bass, pages 154-155
“He was gone again. Not that he’d been here. Roast pig tails? Running bananas? Flying bikes was the only thing that made sense. Some part of him must remember the accident. What had it felt like? Hitting the ground and crumpling the way a tin can does when you step on it.” – Sid musing about what Taylor remembers about the accident from Drummer Girl by Karen Bass, pages 176-177
Drummer Girl by Karen Bass is published by Coteau Books, (2011).
The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest
Summary: Living in 1943 with three older brothers fighting in World War II, Robert finds solace in reading his comic book adventures. An encounter with a meteorite leads to Robert carrying around a piece of an exploded star, and it seems to have magical powers as meteorites start appearing in his favourite comics. Convinced the superheroes he reads about are connected to his brothers, Robert uses his allowance to follow their adventures. But when wartime rationing causes his mother to use his allowance to buy war stamps, Robert must find another way to purchase his monthly comics and do what he believes is his part to keep his brothers safe.
Number of Pages: 190
Age Range: 12-13
Review: Somewhat reminiscent of The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen, The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest is a touching look at how one young man reacts to the stress of his three older brothers being in constant danger while away at war.
I enjoyed the cultural exploration of Canadian comics while the embargo on American goods took place during the war and the historical aspect of life during WWII, but mostly I just loved the characters and the story itself. Even though I saw Robert’s connection between his comics and his brothers as a grief reaction, there was a little part of me that believed the meteorite did have special powers and caused the comics to be prophetic. I was taken up by Robert’s story, hoping beyond hope that he could protect his brothers through buying and reading the comics. Like his neighbour, Mr. Glowinski, tells Robert, he would do anything to have saved his family, Robert, in his own unique way, is trying to do the same thing.
Robert’s journey is heartfelt and genuine. He grows throughout the book, getting over his aversion to girls and learning to work hard to earn money. His determination is equalled by Charlie’s (Charlene), and once he realises that they become good friends. But being a telegram delivery boy during the war is tough job, as it often involves delivering bad news about loved ones. When Charlie shows up at his door with one such telegram, Robert is still convinced his comic books will give him insight into saving his brother.
But I think what I loved best was that when the magical thinking ended, Robert had two people who understood and supported him to see him through: Charlie and Mr. Glowinski. Their collective view of friendship will give Robert a solid foundation to build on as he begins to deal with reality once more.
I can easily see why Guest’s book made the Red Maple Forest of Reading list this year.
Memorable Quotes:
“He was hoarse when he spoke. ‘I tell you something, Robcio. When this happen, I would give anything, do anything, to change a bad thing. I change reality, even, to save loved ones. My Marta would have liked Canada. It good country.’ Here he nodded at Robert. ‘Good people.'” – Mr. Glowinski from The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest, page 140
“She held his eyes with hers. ‘You love those comic books and there’s nothing wrong with that. They tell great tales of imaginary heroes fighting imaginary villains. Don’t you see – that’s exactly what your brothers are doing – they’re fighting the biggest super villain of all time but they’re doing it for real. Your brothers are actual superheroes.'” – Charlie from The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest, page 183
The Comic Book War by Jacqueline Guest is published by Coteau Books, (2014).
About Amy
Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
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