Hero

Over the six years I have been the librarian at my school, Mike Lupica’s books have been on our middle school reading list every single year. Yes, he’s that good and my students enjoy his books tremendously. Although he mentions the New York Knicks a lot, he has strayed away from the sports genre to mystery/suspense with his newest novel, Hero. The beginning of the story is narrated by fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman’s father, a hero who worked for the government, but ultimately dies in a plane crash. The story is then narrated by Zach who has doubts about his father’s death being an accident. His father was invincible. Strange things begin to happen to Zach shortly after his father’s death. He begins to have special powers which enable him to sense danger and fight off attackers. With the help of his good friend, Kate, Zach sets out to find answers about his father’s past. In doing so, he must decide who can be trusted in his life. Will Zach be the hero his father was? Other great reads by Mike Lupica include Million Dollar Throw, The Big Field, Travel Team, Miracle on 49th Street, Summer Ball, and Heat.