Growing a Reader: Kids' Books, Tips and More

Superheroes are huge with many young boys, some of whom are even too small to fully appreciate the storylines or to be allowed to watch them in all of their Wham! Pow! glory. They love the idea, of them, though. The idea of action, excitement, amazing feats and incredible powers, and hey, who doesn't want to defeat evil and save the world? But if you'd rather your youngster didn't quite get the full impact of all that, there are still some really fun books that will give them a satisfying taste of super.

The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man

by Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon is known for grownup books, but when his son began to have trouble containing his emotions, he thought perhaps a superhero could help – his son, after all, loved heroes. Many of us do, as Chabon discusses in a recent NPR interview. The book that resulted is one that's been a huge hit in my own houseand one that avoids being preachy as we follow Awesome Man around and watch him take on his archenemies, and realize that he needs to cool down and have a snack. And of course, there is that secret – his real identity, revealed at the end.

Max

by Bob Graham

Max is a cute, quiet book about a boy superhero born to superhero paren'ts, who has trouble learning to fly. He comes upon it eventually, but chooses even so to be a performer of small kindnesses rather than a flashy saver of the world. The story is a charmer in that his paren'ts are quietly supportive of who he is, and give him the space and time to figure that out. It also features Graham's trademark rounded, cartoonish characters and amusing details of everyday life, even in a super household, making this a wonderful book for the child who is not necessarily bent on the toughest heroes the genre has to offer.

Traction Man is Here!

by Mini Grey

Traction Man is an action figure who, in the hands of a nearly-unseen child, seeks adventure anywhere he may find himself – in this case, in the kitchen! With trusty sidekick Scrubbing Brush along for the ride, things will never be dull for this paragon is heroes. That the adventures are obviously the product of a child's imagination and based on whatever was easily found at hand makes for some very funny moments, and shows the author's great understanding of  children and their games. What makes these truly wonderful, though, are the little tricks and details in Grey's drawings that add entire new dimensions to the story.

Fans can followup with the sequel, Traction Man Meets Turbodog.

SuperDog: Heart of a Hero

by Carloyn Beuhner

Dexter just knew he was cut out for something more, something bigger than his diminutive size would suggest, so one day, he did it. He set out to become a hero, despite the teasing of the other dogs and, most notably, the cat on his block. He trained tirelessly, growing stronger and faste each day and at last, bought himself a hero suit and started helping people and animals and making a name for himself until the night when the cat – the one who teased him all the time – got stuck in a tree. It was his perfect opportunity, and he not only saved him, but won'the feline's grudging respect. A great story about how determination and heart can help make a hero of anyone! I love the illustrations, as well, which are bold and full of great facial expression.

Superhero ABC

by Bob McLeod

This is an ABC book for the junior fanboy, with attributes to suit each letter of the alphabet. The drawings are the kind of fantastic comic book fare that kids love, so it feels authentic, but without all those bad guys, fistfights, and near misses. A perfect introduction for younger kids, and a great way to give them a taste of what they crave.