Adventures of Blue Avenger

Amazon.com
Irony, silliness, and the deepest questions of the human soul blend together delightfully in this funny, original novel by Norma Howe. The day David Schumacher turns 16, he decides to ease the pain of his father's death by legally changing his name to "Blue Avenger," after a comic book hero he created when he was 13. Armed with his new nom de plume, David hopes to abolish handguns, win the love of Omaha Nebraska Brown (the new girl at school), and create the first guaranteed weepless lemon meringue pie. He also wouldn't mind discovering the answer to the mystery of all mysteries: "Are we truly the masters of our fate or merely actors on a stage, playing our parts in a predetermined cosmic drama over which we have no control?" Through a crazy course of coincidences (or perhaps predestined circumstances) Blue Avenger ends up accomplishing almost all of the monumental tasks he has set for himself. Yet he never quite answers that question of free will, a conundrum that Howe leaves the reader to wrestle with until the very last page. The text is peppered with "facts," such as the detailed death of a particular sow bug and the prediction of an earthquake in a certain California subdivision, which seemingly have no bearing on the story. But Howe ties all of these factoids and statistics together in the finale with a flourish reminiscent of Louis Sachar's Newbery award-winning Holes. Teens who enjoyed the mental jigsaw puzzles in Sachar's excellent novel will no doubt also dig The Adventures of Blue Avenger. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

From Publishers Weekly
David Bruce Schumacher has been drawing comic books featuring a superhero for three years, but on his 16th birthday he decides that it's high time that someone actually do something about the world's problems. Accordingly, he dons his late father's fishing vest, puts a towel on his head, ? la Lawrence of Arabia, and renames himself Blue Avenger after his creation ("The" is a lousy first name, he decides). Almost instantly the skinny redhead becomes a hero, first by saving the high school principal from killer bees, then by secretly arranging treatment for an acne-ravaged friend and ultimately effecting an end to handgun violence in Oakland, Calif.Amaybe even the entire U.S. In this canny and sophisticated fable, Howe (The Game of Life) interpolates her loopy plot with serious discussions of philosophy, teen romance, a recipe for "weepless" lemon meringue pie and finely honed characterizations. Especially endearing are the hero and Omaha Nebraska Brown, the feisty gal he's drawn to by his own free willAor is it determinism? Throughout, Howe edgily challenges the reader to decide whether the events related therein (allegedly with the help of an extraterrestrial) are due to chance or fate. The story's teasingly open ending will inspire delighted conjecture. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Actor John Beach is an excellent narrator for this unusual coming-of-age novel by Norma Howe (Holt, 1999). With a unique blend of philosophy, irony, humor and romance, Blue, originally known as David Schumacher, accomplishes the feats of which many teens dream. With an official name change, he assumes the role of his comic book hero, Blue Avenger. Beach's expressive voice is exaggerated, energetic, and enthusiastic, as is Blue. Although his pace varies, it is usually quite rapid, just like the hero on a mission. His speech changes to represent the different ages of the male characters; there is little change for the females. Beach's voice remains spirited when reading the trivia which Howe ties to the plot. He doesn't hesitate to read the many "blankety-blanks" or to burst into "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." Sadly, the discussions of condoms and the synonyms for the word "shit" will keep this to more mature audiences.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with BLUE AVENGER CRACKS THE CODE.]--On his sixteenth birthday David Schumacher decides to change his name to Blue Avenger, secret champion of the underdog. Blue is not just a superhero; he's a thinker. He contemplates: Does he have free will, or is everything predestined. Is life just a lottery? He's one smart kid. But don't be fooled; there's a lot of humor in one of the most original stories to come along. BLUE AVENGER CRACKS THE CODE is even better than the first book. Things don't go so swimmingly for Blue this time around . He loses his job, his car, and his girlfriend. Not everything can be fixed with a blue towel tied around his head. Narrator John Beach is a perfect choice for these readings. His comic timing is spot on. He captures the snide teasing of the hero's younger brother, as well as the shy hesitation of a teen's first attempts at romance. Attacking the story with great gusto, he soon has you rooting for Blue to make things work out. D.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly
"Canny and sophisticated."

Kirkus Reviews
"A novel that has priceless moments."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - March, 1999 "Starred Review"
"...This is at once ingeniously plotted and howlingly funny..."

Book Description
On his sixteenth birthday, David Schumacher changes his name to Blue Avenger. . . And things start to happen. Within twenty-four hours, David becomes a national hero, starts dating an extraordinary girl named Omaha Nebraska Brown, and bakes an imperfect pie. And that's not all. A tiny sow bug is injured by a lawn mower, some killer bees make their home at San Pablo High School, and there is some activity in the earth's crust.The connection?No one knows for certain.At first, it seems that David's own free will is guiding his momentous decision. But maybe it's something else. Maybe it's the inevitable result of everything that has ever happened to him since his miraculous birth.To find out more about life and death, romance, gun control, lemon meringue pie, and world peace, you'll have to read this book. The decision is yours.Or is it? 2001 ALA Popular Paperback for YAs

Card catalog description
On his sixteenth birthday, still trying to cope with the unexpected death of his father, David Schumacher decides--or does he--to change his name to Blue Avenger, hoping to find a way to make a difference in his Oakland neighborhood and in the world.


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On the morning of David Bruce Schumacher's sixeteenth birthday he decides to offically change his name to "The Blue Avenger" and become a secret chamion of the underdog, modest seeker of truth, fearless inovator of the unkown, end the slaughter of handguns and conquer the blight of weeping lemon meringue. The Adventures Of Blue Avenger is a thoroughly entertaining story presented in a lively, three audio cassette, unabridged and technically flawless production showcasing the narrative talents of John Beach who does complete justice to Norma Howe's superb tale. Total Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes.


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