Captain NobodyReview

8/18/2019 Captain NobodyReview

1/18

Review 1

This is a 2009 Cybils nominee and this review reflects only my personal opinion of the book,

not necessarily the opinion of the panel!)ewt ewman is practically invisible "is older brother Chris is a hi#h school football s$perstar, b$t even their parents don%t seem to notice

ewt most of the time &hen Chris is in'$red in a #ame, ewt feels more invisible than ever

$ntil he creates a Captain obody cost$me (n his Captain obody cost$me, ewt discovers

that he not only has what it takes to be noticed, he has what it takes to be a hero

( loved the tone of Captain Nobody (n my opinion, the book is pitch perfect f$nny witho$t

bein# silly and serio$s witho$t bein# depressin# ewt is really in a bad way at the be#innin#

of the book, somethin# that%s obvio$s to the reader even tho$#h ewt doesn%t seem to

acknowled#e it *lways o$tshone by his bi# brother, ewt has ass$med the role of invisible

helper boy "e makes breakfast for his family +and sometimes they eat it, $nless they%re

distracted by more important thin#s) "e can always remember where his mom left her keys

$t when they #o to Chris%s bi# football #ame, his parents are so distracted that ewt #ets

s-$ee.ed o$t of his seat and kicked o$t of the stadi$m

ewt has really internali.ed his feelin# of bein# invisible That%s the way thin#s have always

been and ewt doesn%t feel like he has any power over it *ll that chan#es when his two

friends insist that he come $p with a "alloween cost$me /rom the moment that ewt p$lls

the mask over his face, he starts to feel different "e #ives himself permission to become

someone new

*nd chan#e he does ewt starts facin# his fears and #ets into a few accidental heroic

sit$ations and before yo$ know it, he%s started believin# in himself

( know, ( know That so$nds like it%s kind of hokey, ri#ht &ell, itchford does a #reat 'ob at

keepin# it from bein# hokey *ltho$#h the bits where Captain obody becomes an accidental

hero mi#ht stretch yo$r s$spension of disbelief, ewt%s transformation felt really or#anic to

me This isn%t a book written to teach kids that yo$ sho$ld believe in yo$rself, b$t rather a

book abo$t ewt%s 'o$rney and the wacky advent$res alon# the way that happen to lead tohim believin# in himself

* rec$rrin# theme in the book is that thin#s may be different than they appear *ltho$#h

Captain obody is a tenyearold in a homemade cost$me, he%s a hero to many people in the

comm$nity This wo$ld make a #reat choice for book disc$ssions or for readin# to#ether with

yo$r child and talkin# abo$t it

This is a book for wimpy kids and overlooked siblin#s This is also a book for kids who

maybe need to see that there are different ways of lookin# at problems and sit$ations *nd (

love that it%s abo$t a boy dealin# with emotions, b$t not in a partic$larly to$chyfeely way

http://www.cybils.com/http://www.cybils.com/


2/18

Review 2

ewton ewman is $sed to bein# invisible "is parents are forever ca$#ht $p in work and his

hi#h school football star brother Chris is #ettin# ready for the bi##est #ame of the year ost people seem s$rprised to discover Chris has a tenyearold kid brother ewton and his two

best friends, 33 and Cecil, are the most i#nored fo$rth #raders at their school "alloween is

'$st aro$nd the corner and the three friends decide they4ve had eno$#h of hand me down

cost$mes and #oin# as the same old thin#s They are #oin# to be noticed They are #oin# to

be who they really want to be56their inner selves7

ewt has no idea what he4s #oin# to do for his cost$me "e has notebooks filled with villains

and heroes he4s created, b$t they all have special abilities he can4t mimic, s$ch as t$rnin# into

wire "e shelves cost$me plannin# to attend the bi# #ame between his brother4s /ennimore

/errets and the rival errimac team errimac4s #ot the better record in the rivalry between

the two teams, b$t Chris has #iven the /errets victory a#ainst errimac before The #ame is a

battle to the end, when a lon# play #ives /ennimore a to$chdown '$st in time

$t when the players come off the pile in the end .one, one player is not movin# That player

is Chris "eart po$ndin#, ewt watches as his brother is loaded into an amb$lance,

$nconscio$s ot allowed to accompany Chris to the hospital, ewt is taken home by

nei#hbors

&hen 33 and Cecil arrive to trick or treat, they find ewt wearin# half a drawer f$ll of clothes

handed down to him by Chris ewt had been tryin# to his mom smile, b$t she left before she

co$ld see him all dressed $p in Chris4s st$ff +she had told ewt she missed Chris) 33 and

Cecil help ewt cobble to#ether a hero cost$me from sweatpants, part of a sweatshirt and a

basketball 'ersey

(n his cost$me, ewt doesn4t feel so afraid "e feels confident, as if he act$ally were a hero

ressed to come $p with a name while trick or treatin#, ewt settles on Captain obody (n

his cost$me, he is noticed, not i#nored 8iscoverin# the net mornin# that there are no other

clean clothes in his room, ewt takes Captain obody to school


3/18

:ther kids stare and sneer ewt4s teacher is taken aback &hen he tells her his name, he ends

$p in the principal4s office briefly The ad$lts are very concerned with how he is actin#,

thinkin# he4s disconnectin# after bein# tra$mati.ed by his brother4s in'$ry They let him keep

the cost$me on, even addressin# him as Captain obody, b$t they also call his parents

Cecil #ets ca$#ht $p in the whole Captain obody thin# "e brin#s walkietalkies for ewt

and 33 "e has Captain obody resc$e a bass dr$m from the top of a h$#e #arba#e pile

;nepectedly, this incident also #ives ewt a chance to help an elderly man with dementia or

*l.heimer4s home

Captain obody has a talent for #ettin# into sit$ations beca$se of his friends or b$llies that

also #ive him a chance to be brave * mission to help a 'ewelery store fi the horrible

#rammar on its si#ns ends $p #ivin# the 'eweler a chance to hit an alarm beca$se a theft was

in pro#ress &hen the football team mascot, a real ferret, r$ns o$t into the middle of a hi#h

way, it is $p to Captain obody to resc$e it

( co$ld well relate to parents who wanted to protect a child from a health scare ewton4s

parents are not tellin# m$ch abo$t Chris and the feelin# of bein# $seless is eatin# him $p

inside "e finds they are rippin# o$t articles in the paper abo$t his brother4s health so he

doesn4t worry abo$t what4s #oin# on ewt can4t visit Chris beca$se more tests need to be

done "ow the parents try to protect ewt is sort of a role reversal in the family

(n many ways, ewt is the caretaker in the family "e took over breakfast d$ty from his

absent minded mother "e4s the one that reminds her where "alloween is "e remembers all

the very stran#e places thin#s #et filed in his ho$se +ho$sin# contracts are in with cereal these

days) ewt is very responsible in some ways, b$t in others he4s facin# a lot of childhood

worries and fears &henever anyone asks abo$t Chris, he tells them his brother will be fine

beca$se that4s what he has to believe

( loved the siblin# bond in this book Chris and ewt had certain rit$als, s$ch as how ewt

wo$ld wake Chris $p in the mornin# when he had tro$ble #oin# +watch o$t for hoses!) and


4/18

how Chris always told ewt there were monsters $nder his bed ( fo$nd it rewardin# to read a

book where the pop$lar brother has a #ood relationship with the more overshadowed siblin#

Review <

=ife can be diffic$lt at 10 years old >o$4re not old eno$#h for anyone to take yo$ serio$sly,

and yo$4re '$st be#innin# to combat the hormone '$n#le (t also doesn4t help if yo$r hi#h

schoola#ed brother is the star -$arterback of the local football team, yo$r family is so b$sy

they tend to rely on yo$ for everythin#, and yo$ have the mysterio$s power of blendin# into

the back#ro$nd at school so that no one notices yo$ (ndeed, life can be hard when yo$4re a

nobody

ewton ewman, or ewt, isn4t prepared for what happens net "is footballstar older

brother, Chris, is critically in'$red d$rin# the last play of the bi##est #ame of the year and is

$nepectedly str$ck into a coma &hile the pro#nosis is positive, it4s also a bit mysterio$s?

Chris4s vital si#ns are ecellent@ he4s '$st not wakin# $p ewt4s parents start spendin# alltheir time at the hospital, leave ewt at home, and for#et to help him prepare for one of the

most important holidays of the year "alloween Cecil and 33, ewt4s friends, try and take

his mind off of Chris4s sit$ation by challen#in# ewt to come $p with a new and ori#inal

cost$me

&ith all of the press$res from school, home and the hospital, ewt waits $ntil the last second

and scrapes to#ether a lessthanimpressive cost$me "e takes some of Chris4s handme

downs, track pants and an old football 'ersey, throws them to#ether alon# with a mask c$t o$t

from one of Chris4s old shirts, and attempts to become a s$perhero ot $ntil the middle of

trickortreatin# does ewt reali.e who he is Captain obody! Alowly, ewt be#ins to

transform into a hero who stands $p for all the -$iet kids and all other children who peopletend to for#et abo$t

&hile ewt intended for Captain obody to eist only one ni#ht, circ$mstances beyond his

control force him to dress like Captain obody on a daily basis The effect is ma#ic ot only

do kids in ewt4s class pay him a little more attention and respect, Captain obody mana#es

to save the day on more than one occasion (f ewt is able to defeat commonclass criminals,

assist old men and stop traffic with a sin#le #lance, then s$rely he m$st be able to do

somethin# to help Chris Time is r$nnin# o$t, tho$#h, and this mi#ht be too bi# of a 'ob

even for someone as powerf$l as Captain obody!

Captain obody is a hero anyone can root for 8ean itchford mana#es to take an everydaykid facin# etraordinary circ$mstances and t$rn him into a likable, realistic hero who yo$

co$ld find r$nnin# down the street to save a lost kitten The sit$ations that ewt finds himself

in as Captain obody are downri#ht hilario$s yet believable ( can still recall some of my

fo$rth#rade days with fondness, b$t ( didn4t have nearly as m$ch f$n as ewt =ike any

#ood s$perhero, Captain obody inspires kids of all a#es not to be afraid to stand $p for what

is ri#ht and to kick some b$tt at the same time!


5/18

Captain obody by 8ean itchford

8T8= attle of the ooks 2011

&hich book has a 6prolo#$e Captain obody +p 1)

&ho was fallin# from *ppleton4s last remainin# water tower ewton ewman +p 1)

(n the rolo#$e of 6Captain obody7 what is happenin# to the person tellin# the story "e is

fallin# +p 1)

&hat is the name of the newspaper in Captain obody *ppleton Aentinel +p


6/18

(n Captain obody, what is the name of the town newspaper

*ppleton Aentinel +p


7/18

&hose was ewt4s second s$per hero aper oy came second +p 12)

&hat was aper oy4s talent

aper oy co$ld flatten his body $ntil it was so thin that he co$ld slip $nder any door +p 12)

8escribe 33

Ahe is the tallest #irl in the fo$rth #rade with a head f$ll of thick, $ntamed black hair +p 12)

&hat is ewt4s friend 334s f$ll name

(t is 3$anita 3osephine Ion.ale. +p 12)

&ho were ewt4s best friends 33 and Cecil +p 12)

8escribe Cecil $tterworth

"e is shorter and skinnier than ewt and speaks lo$dly +p 1


8/18

2 eople shove yo$ away from the water fo$ntain +p 1G)


9/18

&ho scored the winnin# to$chdown in the bi# #ame Chris ewman +p


10/18

&hat kind of shoes did Captain obody wear

Ailver track shoes striped with li#htnin# bolts +p EG)

8escribe ewt4s cost$me made with 33 D Cecil

Red sweatpants, Chris4 old silver track shoes with li#htnin# bolts, p$rple baseball 'ersey witha #ray sweatshirt cape, red t‐shirt mask with 6C7 on it +p EG, EH)

&hat one item chan#ed ewt4s opinion of his cost$me The mask +p EH)

&hich part of an old t‐shirt was $sed to make Captain obody4s mask * short sleeve +p EH)

&hat letters were on ewt4s mask C +p G0)

&ho prompted ewt to come $p with the name 6Captain obody7

The co$ple passin# o$t treats who wanted the kids to identify who they were dressed $p as +p

G1)

&hat did 33 and Cecil claim C stood for before ewt came $p with 6Captain obody7

Commander $clear +p G1)

&hat did ewt do with his "alloween sack after he #ot home "e p$shed it down into the

kitchen trash +p GH)

ewt dreamed that Captain obody patched a hole in the side of a sinkin# ship $sin# whatI$m +p GM)

&hat was on Re##ie Ratner4s lawn after "alloween

/ifty cans of #arba#e had been emptied on the lawn +p G9)

&hy did ewt wear his cost$me to school the day after "alloween +Two reasons) eca$se

the o$tfit made him feel stron# and confident +p H0)

*nd beca$se his mother had washed all of his clothes b$t for#ot to dry them +p H1)

"ow did ewt feel when he wore the 6Captain obody7 cost$me

"e felt stron#, ass$red, confident that Chris was :J, certain that om wo$ldn4t cry, worry

free, special, ama.in#

+p H0) :kay, ri#ht +p H1) Iood +p HM) A$per ama.in#, ma#ical +p 91)

Captain obody is 6defender of the7 what =ittle #$y +p H


11/18

"ow did Captain comm$nicate with his friends y walkie‐talkie +p HH)

&hat did Cecil $se to call Captain obody "e $sed a walkie talkie +p M0)

&hich one of ewt4s best friends is the first to call Captain obody via the walkie talkies

Cecil +p M0)

&hat did Cecil find in the d$mpster * bass dr$m +p M1)

&hat was ewt4s bi# fear

"e was afraid of hei#hts +p M2)

&hy did Captain obody scream like a cheerleader

* #narled hand shot o$t from a stack of cardboard boes and #rabbed his ankle +p MB)

&ho did the boys find near the d$mpster r Clay +p ME)

(n what way had r Clay helped ewt4s mother

"e wo$ld pick locks and make keys 5 he was a locksmith +p MG)

&hat is r Clay4s profession "e is a locksmith +p MG)

&hich one of ewt4s parents did r Clay work with in the past ewt4s mom +p MG)

&ho does Captain obody save on his first advent$re r Clay the locksmith +p MG)

"ow did Captain obody assist r Clay "e walked him back to his home +p MH)

&hat did ewt4s father apolo#i.e for to ewt "e apolo#i.ed for ne#lectin# ewt +p 90)

&ho called ewt4s parents at the hospital concernin# ewt

rincipal Toomey, rs >o$n#, the #$idance co$nselor and other people +p 90)

&hen ewt4s mom is close to sellin# a ho$se what does she call the pair of heels that she

wears "er 6seal‐the‐deal‐heels7 +p 91)

&hich call for assistance did Captain obody i#nore ovin# a free.er o$t of a basement

+p 9


12/18

food

i..a, a slice of pi..a +p 9G)

ewt tells 33 and Cecil that if it is a 6real, tr$e emer#ency yo$4d better7 do what Call 911 +p

9M)

&hat does Cecil re-$ire ewt D 33 to say when they are done talkin# into their walkie ‐

talkies They are s$pposed to say 6over7 +p 9M)

&hat #rade is Ricky Ratner in Aeventh #rade +p 99)

ame Re##ie Ratner4s co$sin Ricky Ratner +p 99)

&hat did Ricky want Captain obody to do

Call off Chris4 friends and football players who keep hasslin# his co$sin +p 100)

&ho stood $p for Captain obody when Ricky was makin# his demand

Cecil, 33, asher, Fvan cIee and all the rest of the fo$rth‐#rade boys +p 101)

&hat did A$llivan4s 3ewelry Atore do to $pset 33 They misspelled words on their si#n +p

10E)

"ow was necklace spelled on the si#n in front of A$llivan4s 3ewelry Atore ‐F‐C‐J ‐=‐F‐A‐

A +p 10E)

ot co$ntin# Captain obody, how many c$stomers were in the 'ewelry store when ewt

entered :ne +p 10H)

The word karat was spelled wron# on the si#n in front of A$llivan4s 3ewelry Atore, how was it

s$pposed to be spelled

J ‐*‐R ‐*‐T +p 10M)

&hich nationality are r and rs A$llivan, the 'ewelry store owners (rish +p 10M)

&hat was #oin# on when 33 and ewt went into A$llivan4s 3ewelry Atore There was a

robbery in pro#ress +p 110)

&hat were the three si#ns in the 'ewelry store window that $pset 33

1 *sk abo$t o$r 2B carrot #old!

2 Fvery neckless on sale


13/18

&hy was Captain obody not seen on the s$rveillance camera

The cameras were aimed to view ad$lts, 6normal7 si.ed people +p 11B)

"ow was Captain obody referred to in news reportsThe little #$y, a savior, s$bnormal, a mid#et, a hero, wee folk, a leprecha$n +p 11B) Aome

little bo.o, an escaped mental patient, p$nk, villain or a hero +p 1


14/18

&hat is the mascot of errimac "i#h Achool The errimac Char#er +p 12H)

"ow were peoplin# 6tort$rin#7 Re##ie Ratner

They were callin# B0 times a ni#ht and wakin# $p the family D orderin# Chinese takeo$t for

Re##ie4s address, writin# 6blame Re##ie7 on the Char#er +p 12H)

&ho was the mascot for errimac "i#h Achool The errimac Char#er +p 12H)

&hat stat$e is on the front lawn of errimac "i#h Achool

The errimac Char#er, a h$#e bron.e #$y on horseback +p 12H)

"ow was /erocio$s the /erret able to escape from his ca#e

(t opened $p when Ricky Ratner and his friends tried to #rab it away from ewt +p 129)

&hy did Captain obody stop traffic on the freeway eca$se /erocio$s the /erret ran into

the road +p 1


15/18

1BH)

&hy did ewt think that he was the only person who co$ld chan#e Re##ie4s mind eca$se

he was Chris4s brother and also beca$se he knew what really happened +p 1E0)

ewt admits that he is scared of hei#hts &hat are 33 and Cecil afraid of 33 5 spiders Cecil

5 plastic #arba#e ba#s +p 1E1)

&hat fear does Captain obody help ewt overcome "is fear of hei#hts +p 1E1)

&hy is Cecil scared of plastic #arba#e ba#s

They are slimy +p 1E1)

&ho helped boost ewt onto the water tower ladder 33 +p 1EB)

&hat part of the cost$me came off as ewt was climbin# $p the water tower The mask +p

1EE)

8id ewt lose his Captain obody mask on the way $p or down the water tower The climb

$p the water tower +p 1EG)

ewt thinks to crawl or 6slither7 over the water tower like which of his make‐ believe crime

fi#hters Aticky Ricky +p 1EH)

Tr$e or /alse? Re##ie was not s$rprised to see ewt on the water tower /alse +p 1EH)

&hat two secrets had ewt told /erocio$s

"e told /erocio$s how badly he missed Chris and how 8arryl4s helmet had connected with

Chris4

&hy had Re##ie Ratner climbed the water tower

"e wanted to spray 6Io errimac7 on the side of the tower so he wo$ld be remembered for

somethin# that he

had really done +p 1E9)

&hat are errimac4s school colors :ran#e and #reen +p 1E9)

"ow many ba#els did Re##ie have for breakfast the day he #ot st$ck on the water tower

Aeven +p 1G1)

&hy was Re##ie st$ck on the water tower roof

"e co$ldn4t $ntie his shoe to remove his foot when it went thro$#h the roof and #ot st$ck +p

1G2)


16/18

&hy did ewt fall from the ladder

"e let #o of the ladder when a ch$nk of r$n# bonked him in the middle of his forehead +p

1GE)

&hy did the boys fall from the water towerThe ladder broke as they tried to climb down +p 1GE)

&hat happened to p$t ewt in the hospital Re##ie fell on top of him +p 1GM)

8id Re##ie #et h$rt in his fall o, ewt broke his fall +p 1G9)

&hat were ewt4s in'$ries after Re##ie fell on him "e had a broken ankle and two broken

ribs +p 1H0)

&hen ewt fo$nd o$t he was at the hospital, what did he want to do Nisit Chris +p 1H0)

&hy were Cecil and 33 #ivin# interviews on TN

To eplain how Captain obody #ot involved in the water tower resc$e +p 1H1)

&hat did Re##ie tell everyone was the reason he climbed the water tower "e needed to

think +p 1HG)

&hat did ewt yell at Chris to #et him to wake $p 6"it the showers!7 +p 1M0)

&hat did ewt4s om order for him to eat in the hospital

Ahe ordered a hamb$r#er, lett$ce, no tomato and lots of m$stard +p 1M


17/18

&ho chipped in to #ive Cecil dr$ms and lessons

The pilot and passen#ers of the plane that made the emer#ency landin# +p 191)

&hat did the mayor of *ppleton present to ewt for all the #ood he had done The Jey to

the City +p 192)

*fter the parade, what presentations happened

1 Chris accepted the bi# #old stat$e on behalf of the /errets football team +p 191)

2 r and rs A$llivan #ave 33 diamond solitaire earrin#s +p 191)


18/18

They met at school in first #rade +p 1B) *ppleton Flementary

C*T*(

&here did 334s "alloween character come from

Ahe was named Aplendida, the $een of the 8$n#eon of 8reams from The Crystal Cavern

Chronicles +p E2)

&here was the 'ewel thief reco#ni.ed and ca$#ht (n a c8onald4s near the 3ewelry Atore +p

11M)

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Captain NobodyReview

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