Superman Dawnbreaker

Bibliographic Information:  

• Title: Superman Dawnbreaker  
• Author: Matt de la Peña 
• Publisher: Random House   
• Copyright Date: 2019  

Genre: Teen, Superhero, mystery  

Awards or Honors: None  

Reading Level: Teenager  

Plot Summary: The story follows Clark Kent, or Superman, in his early teen years. He lives in Smallville, Kansas, alongside his friends and family. He is dealing with the responsibility of his powers, and he quit the football team as a result. After a helicopter crash in Clark’s field, a kid named Byron and Lex Luthor becomes friends with Clark. Both Byron and Lex seem like they are hiding something, so Clark and his friend Lana begin investigating them. He spends most of his time trying to hide his powers from the town. The town is also divided over a stop-and-search law targeting people of Mexican descent, and tension is ratcheting up with attacks and beatings of people of Mexican descent. Clark explores why people are disappearing from the town and what the Wesco research lab is hiding. He tries his best to live a normal life, including going on a date with his crush, Gloria. He soon learns that people are kidnapping people of Mexican descent. When his friend Lana is kidnapped, it’s up to Clark to figure out the mystery and save both Lana and the town of Smallville.    

Author Background: Matt de la Peña is a New York Times bestselling author. He has also won the Newberry award for his work. Some of his other books include We Were Here and Mexican WhiteBoy. He has also made picture books. Matt got his MFA from San Diego State University. He did his undergraduate work at Pacific University after getting a basketball scholarship. In addition to his writing, he also teaches and travels the country, promoting his work at schools and colleges. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his family. One of his books, Mexican WhiteBoy, was banned from the Tucson High School curriculum (de la Peña, 2020).   

Critical Evaluation: The writing is clear, and the plot is concise. The tension of trying to solve mysteries and control his powers are important issues in the book. Clark, as a character, is well developed. The writing has lots of dialog. The plot often involves solving a mystery or a problem. The book is also catered to teens and does a good job of expressing what a teenage Superman would feel. Most people now see Superman as an adult unafraid of anything, but he did grow up in Smallville. The author shows that even a teenage Superman would have dealt with crushes, romance, controlling his gifts, making friends, and figuring out his identity. This helps most kids relate to Clark in a way Superman might not be able to. The readers can still look up to Superman while also identifying with some of his problems.   

Creative Use Library Program: I would create a Superman library program to help teens figure out how they can be a hero in their community. I would have us read the book and then discuss the choices Superman made. Superman stands up against bigotry and hate throughout the book and is a good example for teenagers. We would discuss how we can also do our part to stop racism and injustice in our communities. After discussions about what they can do, we can watch Superman movies.   

Book Talk: Clark Kent is just a high schooler growing up in Smallville, doing his best to control his growing powers. All he wants to do is ask out his crush, Gloria, and figure out his life. But when people start to disappear, and bigotry threatens to divide the town, he knows he must act. With the help of his friends Lana, Byron, and Lex, he must figure out who is trying to hurt the town and what he can do to stop it.    

Potential Challenge Issue: There are no challenge issues at this time.   

Reason for Inclusion: I included this book because Superman is a popular character and superhero people would be interested in. The book is also new and describes Superman in his teenage years, a different perspective to his adult comics. It also considers contemporary issues, like racism, bigotry, and powerful corporations. The book also provides a new spin on characters like Lois and Lex Luthor.   

Bio. (2020). Matt de la Peña. Retrieved on November 29, 2020, from https://mattdelapena.com/bio/. 

de la Peña, M. (2019). Superman Dawnbreaker. [eBook edition]. Random House. https://dalycity.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2822564076?active_tab=bib_info