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DEFENDERS OF THE UNIVERSE by D.V. Kelleher

DEFENDERS OF THE UNIVERSE

by D.V. Kelleher & illustrated by Jane Clark Brown

Pub Date: April 1st, 1993
ISBN: 0-395-60515-6
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

A fast-paced, well-written adventure featuring a secret club of six schoolchildren who model themselves on TV and comic-book superheroes sworn to ``fight evil wherever it is and help those in trouble.'' Newcomer Rachel, eager to be valued for her special ``power'' (her artistic ability, which earns her the secret identity of ``The Sketcher''), chafes under the heavy-handed leadership of Chris, the group's captain. When the Defenders witness a hit-and-run accident, Rachel provides the police with a sketch of the driver; but she really proves herself when Chris and his family are held hostage by a bank robber and she leads the others to the rescue. Kelleher strikes a fine balance between realism (wonderfully natural dialogue), idealism (multiethnic cast; diplomatic resolution of the leadership conflict), and fantasy (the youngest Defender can read the others' thoughts and sense the presence of evil), with just a touch of the bizarre (the mascot is a tarantula, ``Captain Kirk''). Costume detail, code words, and secret signals are sure to appeal to superhero fans. Sequels to this ``first'' adventure will be welcome. The b&w drawings are unremarkable but faithful to the text in mood and detail. A winning readaloud. (Fiction. 7-10)