Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Can Joshua Control His Fire?


"My last name changes every time my parents pick up and move to another new town. Some kids have to make new friends when they move. I have to make up a whole new identity. But I can't tell you the name I go by now. It would be too dangerous- for me, and probably for you, too." ~Joshua Dread


Joshua's parents are part of the superhero world, but they're not the part that he can talk about. As a matter of fact even his best friend, Milton, has no idea what Joshua's parents really do for a living. His parents do a great job masquerading as a stay at home inventor and a horticulture professor. But it only disguises their true villainous way. The public really knows them as the Dread Duo, the supervillains they fear. Joshua's parents are trying to destroy the world, and Captain Justice is doing his best to find them and ruin their plans. There is also a new resident in town with a lot of mystery surrounding them. As if trying to keep his identity hidden isn't hard enough, lately Joshua has been lighting things on fire when he least expects it and doesn't seem to know how to control his power. When he meets Sophie, a new girl at school, who also seems to have some super powers, he's excited. Could she also be the daughter of a supervillain? What if she's the daughter of a superhero? If she is, does their friendship stand a chance? Will Josh ever understand why his parents do what they do? Is there any way that a couple of kids with beginning powers can help save the world? Read this exciting adventure to find out!

When I started reading Joshua Dread by Lee Bacon I had no idea that it was about superheroes and supervillains. I think this is a book that kids in fourth grade and up who enjoy comic superheros will love (third graders could enjoy it too, but it might be a challenging read). Anyone who has read the Powerless series and liked it, is sure to enjoy reading about Joshua and his friends. It's a unique story because it's being told from the supervillain’s point of view instead of the superhero’s perspective. I really like Joshua and his friends and found it easy to relate to them. I also thought it was fascinating to learn about all kinds of cool superhero products. It was fun diving into a world of supervillains for a few hours. As Joshua learned more about his fire power it was easy to understand his worries and concerns, after all he doesn't want to hurt anyone he knows. I think the theme of friendship is a strong one, and the kids in this book could teach adults a thing or two about right and wrong and how to be a true friend. This is the first book of the series, and I look forward to reading more.

As anyone else read Joshua Dread? Or have you read another book by Lee Bacon? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading! 
~L

*Stop by this Friday to read our interview with Lee Bacon!

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31 comments:

  1. That is an interesting superhero perspective-- what is it like to be the child of supervillians? It sounds like a very interesting book! I am sad I accidentally missed the riddle from earlier in the week!! I don't know if I would have guessed dread but that is a neat riddle to think about!

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    1. Lauen- So glad you liked the riddle! I agree that the book takes an interesting perspective. It is a fun book! :) ~L

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  2. This sounds like a book kids (adults too) will enjoy. Super heroes and villains are fascinating characters. Congratulations, Lee.

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    1. Beverly- Definitely a great book for super hero and villain fans of all ages. :) ~L

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  3. This sounds like a fun story. I would've loved it as a kid! :)

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  4. This sounds like a fun story. I would've loved it as a kid! :)

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  5. I love superhero books and we don't get too many of them as grownups. I will add this to my son's TBR list for when he is older.

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    1. Heidi- You are right- there aren't a lot of superhero books for adults. I think this is an awesome book for your son's TBR list! :) ~L

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  6. What a neat superhero story idea.

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  7. This sounds so interesting! We love superhero stories -- we'll be adding this one to the TBR for sure! Great review! :)

    ~Michele & Mckenzie @ A Belle's Tales

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    1. A Belle's Tale- Yeah! You will both really enjoy it! :) ~L

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  8. I have not read this, but it does sound cute. It would be hard at the age Joshua was to have to deal with the stuff in his life with new identity, what his parents were doing, and now his own powers. Could make for an interesting plot indeed!

    betty

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    1. Betty- You are right- Joshua does have a lot to go through and it makes the book so interesting. :) ~L

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  9. Oh, the kids are going to love this one. Thanks for the review. Very interesting.

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  10. Unlike adult superheroes like Batman etc who generally leave me feeling less than impressed I love a good book is which children are the heroes and better still adults are the baddies.

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    1. Tracy- I think books with kids as the superheros are a lot of fun too. :) ~L

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  11. What a fun idea and I'm sure many adults would love it as well.

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  12. Oh, that sounds like such a good story! Great meeting you here.

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  13. {Lol, again, another bout of deja vu. I thought I'd read about this book on your blog previously.} Writing from the villains' child's point of view in a children's book is rare. And you are right, I think many adults can learn a lesson or two about friendship as well!

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    1. Claudine- You read with such a keen eye! I love it! You are right- we first reviewed this book almost a year ago and reran it to go with Lee Bacon's interview this week. :) ~L

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  14. I think what I like about this book is the fact that we have a child of a villain, and that is definitely a new point of view that we haven't seen before. I am so curious to see how that pans out. And it like the idea of him befriending Sophie as well.

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    1. Olivia- Savannah- I like the new point of view too! I hope you enjoy Joshua Dread if you get to read it. :) ~L

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