I did read the Captain Awesome books.  Eugene McGillicudy is definitely “Super Dude’s” biggest fan.  He has all 429 issues of the comic book.  He has formed the Sunnyview Superhero Squad with his best friend Charlie and the class hamster, Turbo.  He’s an ordinary boy, but he knows that evil is always close by.  It is his job to stop evil from doing it evilness and Eugene does a pretty good job.  On Friday I said I’d let you know which was my favorite.  I think Captain Awesome Save the Winter Wonderland might be, but I am glad I read them all.  You don’t have to read them in order, or even all of them, but there are little bits and pieces from each of the books that keep adding up.  I wonder what would happen in our class or in our school if we had a Captain Awesome.  What would you do if there were a person who dressed as a super hero because it made him feel confident and capable of doing the things he felt he needed to do?  Things like winning the spelling bee to defeat the braggy girl who put classmates down and embarrassed them in front of everyone or like diving into the deep end of the pool for the first time.

Check out the Captain Awesome website –  Don’t miss the trailer.  It is fun.

I’m also looking for the first read aloud for our class.  I think I may have found it in 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos.  Twitch, the Squirrel lives in the trees outsider a school.  He begins the story be explaining how much fun he has on the jungle gyms people leave in their yards for him often centered around a snack bar.  While he’s telling about this new “spinney disc” he loses track of time and gets chased away by a swooping owl.  Twitch runs to escape the owl, but unfortunately scampers across a dog’s nose.  The dog takes up the chase and, desperate to escape, Twitch runs through the open door of a school.  The dog runs in too, but being evening the custodian puts the ladder away, shuts the door and leaves for the night.  Twitch and the dog are shut in and the chase is still on.  The classroom pet of the room where the action of the chase is taking place tells each chapter – there are eight.  You’ll be eagerly reading to the end to find out how it all works out.  You’ll be laughing and shaking your head in surprise.

I also may have found the first read aloud in Emily’s Fortune.  I am still in the middle of this suspenseful, funny adventure so I’m not sure.  Emily’s just trying to make it to Aunt Hilda’s in Redbud.  She is trying to stay out of the clutches of Miss Catchum of Catchum Child Services and I’m happily reading to find out if she does.  All the while wondering how Jackson might help, why having a turtle named Rufus is important and bad things what Uncle Victor is up to.  If you have a chance to read either of these books let me know what you think – is it a good book to begin the year with?  Let me know.  In the meantime, what are you reading?