Boots - Book Three of the League of Secret Heroes series

And so we come to the third, and final, book in the "League of Secret Heroes" trilogy.  I really don't understand this hesitancy of publishers these days to have a continuing series.  It seems pretty much every new series that comes out lasts only three books, with very few new series going beyond that.  If, like back in the day, all three books came out at once, as a "breeder" set as they have come to be known, in order to test the waters, that would be one thing.  But where only one book comes out a year, and after three books, the story is done and no more, it is a little disappointing.  Here, you grow to like the characters, you enjoy the stories, and you want to see what's going to happen next - but instead, it's "oh, here's these great three stories, and now that you know the characters and like them, we're done and moving on to the next series...."  But, it is what it is, so I guess I should just enjoy what I do have and be thankful we get some great stories for the short time they are here.

Boots is the conclusion to the League of Secret Heroes story, the follow-up to Cape and Mask (and, thus, completing the costume).  Kate Hannigan wraps up the series nicely with a story that once again mixes fiction with the real world and real characters.  This time around, Mae, Josie, and Akiko - otherwise known as the Violet Vortex, the Emerald Shield, and the Orange Inferno: the Infinity Trinity! - team up with some of history's most famous female war pilots to go overseas and rescue Zenobia and the multitude of other heroes who have been kidnapped and held captive by the evil Metallic Falcon.  But when the Falcon manages to remove the Infinity Trinity's powers, Mae, Josie, and Akiko are left with the all important question - what can three young girls without any super powers do to help save the world?

Hannigan's story provides readers with a lesson in what it means to be courageous, what it means to overcome one's fears, and what it means to rise above adversity and all odds to fulfill your dreams and accomplish your goals.  While the fictional tale of super heroes and villains and big "in the sky" battles may not be real, the historical realities of women in the war effort and the discrimination against not only women, but in particular women of color, during World War II are actual facts carefully woven into the story.  Willa Brown, Janet Harmon, the WASPs and Jane Baessler were all real life heroes who, in their own way, brought about change in the real world and the way women in the military were viewed back in the first half of the 20th century, and Hannigan flawlessly weaves these women into the story as they aid the Infinity Trinity in their mission to save the heroes of the world.

Once again, the book is interspersed with pages of comic art pages that provide visual storytelling, as drawn by artist Patrick Spaziante.  The pages are beautifully drawn, and quite frankly, I'd love nothing more than to see Hannigan and Spaziante continue telling stories of these three young heroes in comic book format (perhaps a series of graphic novels that let's readers enjoy tales of Violet Vortex, Emerald Shield, and Orange Inferno AFTER defeating the villainy of Metallic Falcon?).  

This three-book series has been a pretty fun read, and it's a shame that there won't be any more books in this series - but I guess, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  I would recommend this series to those who enjoy children's series books, super heroes, and/or comic books.

RATING:  8 scratchy pieces of material out of 10 for a fun mix of super heroes, historical fiction, and big battles that make reading this book "super" enjoyable!

Mask - Book Two of the League of Secret Heroes series

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book in The League of Secret Heroes series, I went into this second book with considerable enthusiasm.  After all, as a fan of comics, as well as children's series books, it only stands to reason that a children's series about young super heroes would be right up my alley.  In the first book, our three protagonists - Akiko, Mae, and Josie - find a way to put their deductive and coding skills to work to aid their country during World War II, and along the way, they discover that not only do they make an amazing team, but they also have the chance to become super-powered heroes - the Violet Vortex, the Orange Inferno, and the Emerald Shield.  Together, they formed the Infinity Trinity!  Now, in this second book, the three have another chance to decode some extremely important messages and stop a super criminal from terrorizing San Francisco!

Mask brings the three young heroes to California, where author Kate Hannigan introduces readers not only to Akiko's hometown of San Francisco, but also provides a bit of a history lesson regarding what happened to American citizens of Japanese descent during the time of World War II (after Pearl Harbor).  One of the good things about this book (and this series in general) is that Hannigan mixes some real life history with the fictional tale.  In this instance, readers learn a bit of what it was like for Japanese-Americans who were removed from their homes, forced into concentration camps, and in some cases, separated from their families - all simply because they were of Japanese descent.  As Akiko shares with her friends the story of what it was like to lose their home, their belongings, and everything they knew, the reader can't help but feel the frustration, anger, and incredulousness in the idea that something like that could ever happen in our country!  (Of course, looking at events transpiring in our country right now, maybe it's not so difficult to believe any more....)

At any rate, the jaunt to San Francisco turns out to be more than an excursion to see if they can locate Akiko's mom, who seems to have gone missing, as the three young heroes discover a message that they must decode - one that will lead them to Mrs. B., who had indicated that she would be in contact with them.  As they work to decipher the code, they suddenly find themselves in the middle of more than they bargained for - not only does Akiko spot her mother there in San Francisco (when she should still be in the concentration camp), but the three also come face to face with a group of clowns who seem to want nothing more than the create havoc and destruction by dropping exploding balloons on the waterfront!  Without hesitation, the Infinity Trinity jump into action!

Akiko, Mae, and Josie all learn some important lessons throughout this story - about each other, about never jumping to conclusions, about teamwork, and about their own self-confidence and abilities.  This time, they face the threat of Side-Splitter, a clown with a deadly mission in San Francisco.  They also face the question of whether Akiko's mother is a traitor, helping the Nazis by passing along secret messages, as well as having to decode some very important messages for Mrs. B., which could lead to the truth about whatever happened to Zenobia and all of the other missing heroes, as well as why some of the other heroes seemed to be literally fading out of existence!  

Again, it is rather cool that Hannigan integrates real facts into the story.  The Japanese did use balloon bombs during the war; Executive Order 9066 did force thousands of Japanese from their homes along the West Coast; Genevieve Grotjan and Elizebeth Friedman (both of whom appear in the story) were real-life cryptologists and code crackers who served this country during the war; and the Doll Lady was an actual person who sent spying letters through a contact in South America (although she did not run a store out of San Francisco - her store was in New York).  This type of fictionalization of facts is something the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books did for many years (although, perhaps, not quite to this extent), and it's great to see that authors still want to educate children in some fashion through the stories they tell!

And, of course, I cannot let this post pass without mentioning the comic book pages throughout the story.  In fact, the book opens with a 12-page sequence that shows the arrival of the three girls in San Francisco.  The art by Patrick Spaziante is fantastic, and each panel, each page of art, conveys so much story, it's almost like having an entire chapter encapsulated in just a few pages of art!  I love the mixture of comic and prose, and since most series these days do not have internal illustrations like the books I read growing up, this is a great way to make up for that!

The last book in this trilogy, Boots, is coming out in August, so it will be interesting to see how Hannigan brings this series to a conclusion.

RATING:  8 speeding out of control trolley cars out of 10 for good, clean fun and family-friendly reading with super-hero antics and code-cracking galore!

Cape - Book One of the League of Secret Heroes series

I had debated about picking this book up when I saw it in Barnes & Noble - but when I saw it in Walmart for considerably less than cover price, I thought, "Why not?" I mean, after all, it is the first book in a new series; it is about superheroes who happen to be female; and it offers pages of story scattered throughout the book in comic book format - so what's not to love about it? Granted, I have never heard of the author, Kate Hannigan, so I am not familiar at all with her writing, but with so many positive things going for it, I figured I would at least find something to like about it.  And boy, did I ever!

Cape, the first book in the new League of Secret Heroes series, is the story of Josie O'Malley (and yes, she's Irish), a young girl in the heart of America in the middle of World War II.  Her father has gone off to fight in the war, and her mother works a second job helping to build war ships.  Josie's cousin is also involved in the war effort, so Josie is determined she is going to do something to help fight the good fight as well!  It doesn't matter that she is still in middle school - she is an expert puzzler and can figure out just about any code, so she and her friend Emmett skip school to answer an ad in the paper that is searching for decoders and puzzlers.  Jose is so excited, and she is so sure of herself, that she is actually the first person to finish the test!  But then she notices something odd - the man giving the text places all of the boys' tests in one pile, all of the girls' tests in the other; and when the last person finishes, he discreetly pushes the girls' tests into the trash!  The man even has the gall to ask Josie about her friend Emmett - but Josie knows something is up and refuses to give him the information he is looking for.

And while Josie and her two newfound friends (Mae and Akiko) are discussing the matter with the mysterious Mrs. Boudica, all hell breaks loose in the hall.  It tuns out the man giving the test was actually a supervillain, and one of the few superheroes left is trying to stop him - when he is suddenly vaporized and the villain escapes!  All that remain are the hero's cape, mask, and boots.  The girls pick them up and feel an odd sensation.  And soon enough, they discover there is a reason that the mysterious Mrs. Boudica singled the trio out - they discover that they have superpowers, and with great effort, they transform into violet, emerald, and orange clad heroes who can fly and fight crime!

But, remember, these are kids in the 1940s!  While they love their comic books and they are fascinated by the heroes who haven't been seen in years, they don't know the first thing about super powers or how to use them to defeat a villainous criminal who can turn into a huge snake.  Hannigan plays this for real - these kids are not sure of themselves, but they have their own squabbles and their own family dramas - plus, in the era they live in, Hannigan doesn't hold back from the discrimination that both Mae (being Black) and Akiko (being Japanese-American) faced at that time.  And, as can be expected with middle-school children, there are also bullies their own age to deal with.  Plus, throw in some German spies, some uncertain allies, and a double-agent as well, and there is no doubt that you'll get a great read.

What is surprising, and I did not realize until I reached the end and read the Author's Note - some of the supporting characters in the story are based on actual people from World War II, and the secret computer being worked on by Josie's cousin and her associates was a real-life project!  I've always said that mixing in some real facts and true stories in with the fictional tales of a good book can only increase its readability and enjoyment.  Hannigan does a flawless job mixing the real with fiction, and it definitely makes for a fun-filled, adventurous, exciting story!  (And having asthma myself, I can certainly identify with Akiko, who struggles with her allergies and breathing issues.)

 The League of Secret Heroes is not to be missed, and I am hoping it will be more than just a three-book series (as most seem to be on today's market...)

RATING:  10 secret messages made with milk out of 10 for introducing a new group of super heroes into the world that are fun to read!