Mik Murdoch: Boy Superhero by Michell Plested

Five out of five stars

Mik Murdoch is just like any other nine-year-old boy; after watching the amazing Spiderman he decides he wants to be a superhero. But how does a superhero get his power? Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider. Superman came from another world.

And so the quest begins.

With his trusty dog Krypto by his side he begins to hunt for a way to kick start his superpowers and manages to get into all sorts of amusing trouble along the way. As the search continues, he runs into people in trouble in the community and in his heart he knows he has to stop and do what he can to help. The last is not something every nine-year-old boy or girl is so willing to do and this is what sets Mik apart from most of the others.

In an age where violence, darkness and bad attitudes are the norm it can be difficult to choose a novel for our young children to read. When I was a child, the novels to read were the “Little House” books by Laura Engles Wilder. I remember wishing I was Half Pint as I read about one adventure after another. Mik Murdock reminds me a great deal of the young Laura Engles, in that he cares about his family and friends, often putting their needs above his own. But he doesn’t always do exactly as he’s told, and this works to get him into trouble. I hadn’t planned to read straight through when I picked up the story, but that’s exactly what I did. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a novel so much. It is easy to imagine the younger generation eagerly waiting to see what Mik will be up to next. Well done to the author Michell Plested! He has managed to hook this big kid-at-heart.