Isaiah Dunn is one of those characters that is incredibly easy to relate to and sympathize for. Feeling the loss of his father is one that will also impact the reader and root for Isaiah in his adventures. To see Isaiah discover a love for writing and have that connection with his late father is an experience that I will not easily forget. I loved the characters in this book, especially Angel and Sneaky.

Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school readers, Isaiah Dunn is one of those characters who is bound to be beloved.

A beautiful, heartbreaking an heartwarming book. I loved the sense of community, the strength of family and the determination of Isaiah.

Originally posted in APLS listserv newsletter the Yakety YAK.

There are things Isaiah Dunn doesn’t talk about if he can avoid it. His dad’s dead. His mom’s stopped going to work and is drinking out of bottles with torn labels (he knows what she’s drinking, but at least his little sister Charlie doesn’t get it.) They’re living out of a motel and payment’s past due.

But one of his best kept secrets is the fact he likes writing poetry. His dad liked writing too–one of Isaiah’s most treasured possessions is a notebook filled with his dad’s short stories featuring a boy with Isaiah’s name. He wishes he was like the Isaiah Dunn his father wrote about–a boy who gained super powers from eating beans and rice (he’s certainly been eating enough of them). Writing is one of his few connections to his father, but with his dad gone Isaiah finds himself unable to write at all.

Isaiah’s the man of the house now and with his mom having problems he’s got to find a way to help. But how much money can a kid like him make?

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero is an easy read. Written in 1st person and divided up by days instead of chapters, it jumps from this day to that, giving important snippets of Isaiah’s life. I was expecting a hard hitting emotional tale, and instead felt emotionally disconnected. That sounds bad, but I feel it was more a product of it being written in 1st person paired with Isaiah’s lack of understanding. Isaiah isn’t happy, he’s dealing with a lot of problems, but in Isaiah’s words, “…at least me and Charlie started to have some sunny days after a while. Mama’s been all rain.” Children can be resilient, especially if they’ve had an overall happy childhood. Isaiah doesn’t understand how bad things are getting. He has faith they’re going to get better. His mindset is, “I just have to get through this, we just need some more money, everything will be fine.” He isn’t desperate despite being in a desperate situation.

That’s completely fair and an entirely realistic take. The story is engaging enough it doesn’t have to be filled with pathos. It might even read better to kids who likewise don’t understand the situation, and when the Dunn family is kicked out of the motel it might come as a genuine surprise. On the flipside, the story may have been better served by being in 3rd person. I personally would have preferred to be a little more emotionally engaged, but that is strictly my feelings and might not be the experience of another reader, especially one of the targeted audience.

Otherwise, I enjoyed this book. I’m a fast reader and it took under 2 hours to finish. With Isaiah being a fan of the literary world and in need of a refuge, it is unsurprising that his local library features heavily in this story, as does his favorite librarian Mr. Shephard. Mr. Shephard is a wonderful example of librarians at our best, someone who listens & encourages Isaiah. There’s even a moment where he promotes Summer Reading, and frankly there’s an idea in there I want to try out. At the end when Isaiah comes up with the idea for an unused storage room in the library, Mr. Shephard works with him to transform it into a writing room named for his father with selections from his work framed and hanging on the walls.

I’ll go over some other favorite moments quickly. Isaiah ends up with a job sweeping up in a barber’s shop and when he realizes that Isaiah isn’t just working for pocket money but trying to earn money for his family, he takes Isaiah aside and reminds him it isn’t his responsibility to support his family. He’s a kid. He gives Isaiah a day off, and $10 to spend on himself. I also enjoyed Isaiah’s friendship with his best friend Sneaky, how you could see they were close, but also that they were growing up and their relationship was changing and that’s ok. Finally, there was how bullying was handled in the book. Isaiah’s being bullied by a girl named Angel. While initially the teacher handles it poorly, it finally escalates to the point where Isaiah is suspended and afterwards they both are put into peer counseling together. They end up becoming friends without any cheesiness, with Isaiah learning it started do to an offhand insult he aimed at her months ago, and her realizing she’s taken things too far. It didn’t feel forced, didn’t rely on a sob story, but instead featured a counselor prompting them to talk, to listen, to apologize, and finally to discover common ground.

This was a good book, both as a debut novel and on its own merits. If you’ve got the money for it, I’d definitely recommend its addition to a library collection, especially if your library is in a metropolitan area.

Recommended for: fans of realistic slice of life fiction.

Things to watch out for: While characters are said to cuss, no swear words are used. His father is mentioned to have died of a heart attack but not detailed, and any violence is school yard level and not graphic.

Isaiah Dunn is 10, almost 11. He has a magical way with words, inherited from his father. But he has lost his words since his father unexpectedly passed away at Thanksgiving. (This is something I strongly relate to, even as an adult.)

As he is struggling with all of this, his mother is struggling to cope, losing her job, drinking a lot, and rendering them essentially homeless. (And this is a wake-up call to how easily it could happen to anyone.)

Then he's trying to deal with kids at school, in the neighborhoods, while also wanting to take care of his family. It's a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone someone his young age.

Through trial and error, unexpected support, and his father's short stories about Isaiah Dunn, Superhero, Isaiah manages to find strength and ingenuity that he didn't know he had and rises above to forge a new and better path. He's so inspirational, even to this fully grown adult. How many of us have been facing difficult trials in our own lives? And think about how many other children are going through one or more of these situations, or something similar, in their own lives? It really gives you something to think about in addition to pulling at your emotions.

Isaiah is a great kid and this is a great book. I look forward to his continued adventures.

I received a requested review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sweet, but powerful middle grade read on dealing with grief. By the time I finished, Isaiah Dunn was MY hero for getting through all that life threw at him and still being a positive, caring young man. Definitely going to look for more novels like this from Kelly Baptist.

Isaiah thinks that dad makes being the man of the house look so easy. Unfortunately it isn't as easy as it looks. His little sister, Charlie, asks way too many questions. Mom has gone way to quiet but Isaiah has a plan.. with the help of his best friend, Sneaky who always has a plan. When things get really hard Isaiah has daddy's journal for direction too. Danny writes about a superhero who gets his superpowers from rice and beans.
A great read!

Wonderful, hopeful and heart-wrenching at the same time, the story of a boy trying his best to grow up enough to take care of his family, all while keep hope and love for himself alive.

After his father's surprising death, 10-year-old Isaiah Dunn is now the man of the house. Caring for his mother who now struggles with alcoholism and his younger sister Cindy, and striving to keep their family from being evicted from their cheap motel. Things are not looking good, but he has one thing to keep him grounded -- his father's notebook filled with stories about the amazing Isaiah Dunn.

This an age-appropriate look at the hardships that many children have to endure and provides a hopeful way out for children who may find themselves in a similar situation. Isaiah Dunn is a completely empathetic character that readers will enjoy engaging with.

When Isaiah's dad, a writer, dies suddenly, Isaiah's momma starts to unravel which causes a food and housing crisis for the family. Isaiah's teacher doesn't seem cognicent of Isaiah's home situation, nor is she in tune to the strife between Isaiah and his classmate, Angel. Couple this with the dissolution of his friendship with best bud, Sneaky. All is not lost though. Strong insightful characters Miz Rita, the barber, the librarian, and yes, Angel, step up to the plate and offer love, guidance, and encouragement to a very brave boy, and his family. This short character and theme driven story has all the feels. Highly Recommended. Thank you to Random House Childrens and Netgalley for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. 5 Stars.

Isaiah Dunn loses his father and wants to take care of his little sister, Charlie, and his Mama. He finds a notebook that his Dad, Gary, wrote poetry and stories in. Isaiah comes across a story about himself where he gains super powers by eating rice and beans. This notebook becomes a staple in his every day life and motivation for writing his own poetry. His Mama is slowly spiraling as she deals with the death of her husband. They end up living at a motel for a little while as they try to get back on their feet.

I love that this is an Own Voices story and is for the middle grade audience. Isaiah faces a lot of negativity and has a hard time at school because of what he has to deal with at home, but he always finds a way to look out for his sister and his Mama. I love that Isaiah found role models in Mr. Shepard, the librarian, and Rock, the barber. I also love the relationship he has with Miz Rita, a family friend. I like that it shows what kids can go through at school and that we don’t always know what happens at home.

Even though this book is geared towards younger readers, I enjoyed it.

Trigger/Content Warnings: death of a loved one, alcohol addiction, bullying, homelessness.

In an effort to read down my @netgalley TBR pile, I set a goal to read all the #middlegradesnovels on the list in February. I’ve got two more since I finished Isaiah Dunn is My Hero.

This is about ten-year-old Isaiah. Isaiah lost his father last November, and his family (little sister Charlie and his Mama) had to move out of their apartment and into the Smoky Inn. Mama has been sad and drinks from bottles too much, so Isaiah spends a lot of time after school at his library. However, Isaiah only wants to read one book - his daddy’s journal. His dad wrote about a superhero (named Isaiah Dunn) who gets his powers from beans and rice. Faced with everything going on in his life, Isaiah tries to channel his superpowers!

Y’all. I LOVED this. It is SO good. I finished it, and I immediately put it on my next book order for my library. I’ve said this before, but the best praise I can give a kids’ book is that I would recommend to adults. And I would recommend this to ALL the adults. Working in a Title I school, this resonated so much with me - I could see my kids having Isaiah’s problems.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

I loved reading this book about a boy and his family experiencing loss & grief, alcoholism & poverty, and what that can look like on the outside. But it’s not all sadness. There is hope that comes from making a new friend, writing, and a few caring adults who are able to see beyond what’s happening on the outside, and look deeper. I immediately purchased copies of this book for my school library. Don’t miss this one!

Oh, what a fantastic read. Baptist hit all the right points in this middle-grade novel. It is beautifully complex with rich characters that leap from the page. A lot of the themes in this book can be hard to balance well but Baptist does it, treating grief, homelessness, poverty, depression in a sensitive and relatable manner. One I will for sure be recommending to the teachers who shop with us and the kids who love contemporary fiction.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Isaiah Dunn is MY superhero! This book hit me right in the feels! I adored Isaiah so much. There were so many deep issues addressed in this book: grief, homelessness, etc. Kelly J. Baptist nailed it.

One of my favorite books in 2020! This book hit home for me, as I know many of my students could and have been in the same situation as Isaiah. Grief, eviction, relationships, writing and plenty of dreams and ambitions are all in Isaiah's mind. A perfect read aloud for the middle grade audience!

Definitely needed to have some tissues on hand for some of these pages!

Isaiah is a 10-year-old who has just lost his father, and is now struggling as his mom drowns her sorrow in a very unhealthy way. Through his dad's writing and a bit if his own, Isaiah finds a way to not only navigate his grief but also find hope for the future.

I loved Isaiah's honest voice. The story tackles death, alcoholism, homelessness, and bullying... but it also just shows a kid being a kid: not loving his teacher, having best friend drama, and the like.

Such a good read.

I was so thrilled to read an artistic story with a male protagonist. Isaiah Dunn truly is my hero. Great story of family, struggle, love, and strength.

Isaiah Dunn is struggling to adjust to his new life after his dad passed away on Thanksgiving Day. His mom lost her job and now they are living in a very smoky motel room. On top of it all because of the stress and the loss of his father, Isaiah has not been able to write a single word in a poem or a story like he used to. The only person who knows about Isaiah's family's situation is his best friend Sneaky. Sneaky and Isaiah have a candy business at school and have been best friends forever. When Isaiah gets in trouble for pushing a fellow student, Angel, at school he is suspended and required to go through peer mediation with Angel. After the mediation things with Angel get better as things with Sneaky get worse. When Isaiah misses the talent show for reasons he can't control, the two boys get in to a major fight and end their business partnership and their friendship. With no one to turn to and things at home at an all time low, Isaiah just doesn't know what he can do to fix anything or make it better. This amazing novel is about a really courageous young boy who is not only going through the biggest loss a ten year old could go through but he has to deal with his mothers alcoholism and their homelessness. He's focused on making money in order to help his mom when he should be focused on being a kid. Isaiah is truly an inspiring, true and honest character that as Rock, Isaiah's boss at the barbershop, says, I want to be like Isaiah when I grow up.

This was a 5 star read. Thanks to netgalley.com for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero is a middle grade novel that made me cry, laugh, and rethink my own teaching. It reminded me that I never really know everything my students are going through, and to approach every situation with empathy first. It covers grief, friendship, and other important topics. This book would be perfect for upper elementary and middle school students, and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for my classroom library. Highly recommended read for teachers and students alike!