Shredderman: Meet the Gecko
Grade 3-6 - The endearing cyber-superhero, Shredderman, otherwise known as Nolan Byrd, exposes yet another annoying nuisance through the use of his anonymous Web site. The 11-year-old's favorite television superhero, The Gecko, comes to his hometown of Cedar Valley to shoot an episode, and Nolan's father, a newspaper reporter, is assigned to cover the story. The boy not only gets to meet Chase Morton, but also plays video games with him, and the two form a friendship. School bully Bubba Bixby also wants to meet the popular on-screen personality, causing even more tension between the two boys. As Nolan witnesses Bubba's resentment toward him, he learns that sometimes being a superhero is about "being bigger than yourself," and invites Bubba to meet Chase. Nolan is also successful in exposing an unethical photographer, causing quite a stir in the journalism community. The protagonist's strength in rising above his fear of Bubba and showing compassion for him is gently and poignantly portrayed. Reluctant readers will find this book accessible, and the use of modern technology to fight the "bad guys" is an appealing inclusion.- Jennifer Cogan, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MDCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.