Captain Nobody - Fiction Adventure Intermediate

Captain Nobody

Dean Pitchford

2010 

 

Summary

Captain Nobody is about Newt Newman who's the young brother of Chris Newman. All of his life, Newt feels like he lives in the shadow of his brother's glory. When Chris is injured and lands in hospital, Newt's best friends, JJ and Cecil, take him out for trick or treating. Realizing that Newt doesn't have any costumes, JJ and Cecil work together to find the perfect hero for Newt - Captain Nobody.  After Halloween, Newt continues the role of a hero in a string of exploits that include preventing a robbery and saving a planeload of passengers. But will Captain Nobody be able to save the one person he cares about most?

Annie’s Thoughts

           For my intermediate book, I knew just the right place to find a book.  I visited my 5th grade grandson, J.J. and he was happy to share with me some of his favorites (the best excuse I've ever had to visit my grands - its for my homework....love it!).  

J.J. dressed up as Captain Nobody for "Book-o-ween" at school last fall.

 

            Like J.J., I really enjoyed this book.  Dean Pitchford captured the essence of what it feels like to be a 10 year old.  The supporting characters, JJ and Cecil are hilarious and I liked their humor.  My grandson felt especially connected to these characters.  I found myself cheering along with the characters during this book, and fighting back tears in the end.  Captain Nobody is a fun adventurous, yet heart felt story that I highly recommend. 

Classroom Activates:

Create your own superhero - Create costumes with felt made mask and capes made from t shirts.   Have students write down their superhero's manifesto:

            What is your superhero name?
            What is your mission?
            What are your superpowers?







Create your own superhero comic strip, complete with pictures, speech bubbles, and text.

Response Questions:

Why did Newt pick "Captain Nobody" as his alter ego?

Newt looks up to his older brother Chris.  By the end of this book, Chris also looks up to Newt.  Is there anyone you look up to? Why?



References:



Captain Nobody - Kids Review. Retrieved from
http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/captain-nobody

Pitchford, D. (2010). Captain Nobody.