Shredderman: Attack of the Tagger

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Van Draanen, Wendelin, 2004. Shredderman: Attack of the Tagger. Ill. by Brian Biggs. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Nolan Byrd is known as a nerd at Cedar Valley Elementary but what everyone does not know is that Nolan has a secret identity. He is Shredderman and his job is to protect students from bully’s and other miscreants at school. When a mysterious tagger begins vandalizing property all over town, Shredderman is on the case to find out who the tagger is. Solving a mystery is hard work and Shredderman finds himself ditching school, hiding in a bag of garbage, and even doing his own laundry. Will Shredderman solve the mystery? Can he keep his secret identity is secret? Will the smell of garbage ever come out of his hair? Read Shredderman: Attack of the Tagger to find out.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Any child who ever wanted to be a super hero like Spiderman or Batman will enjoy reading Shredderman: Attack of the Tagger. Considered to be a nerd by his peers, Nolan Byrd turns himself into a secret superhero with the help of the internet and a digital camera. He even has his very own sidekick. The funny adventures that ensue when the hero sets out to catch the tagger will entertain kids and keep them in stitches. There are black and white drawings throughout the book to emphasize the action and plot. Shredderman’s trials to keep justice and peace at his school will surely inspire other children to become super heroes themselves.

AWARDS AND REVIEWS:

School Library Journal:
Grade 3-6–Nolan's life has not been the same since he invented Shredderman. Sure, he's still called "nerd," and he avoids running into bully Bubba Bixby, but now he's secretly a cyber-hero. As such, Nolan knows he's the man for the job when graffiti is spray-painted around Cedar Valley and the culprit cannot be caught. However, things do not go as planned as Shredderman is accused of being the tagger, and he is under the clock to see that truth and justice prevail before his true identity comes to light. Van Draanen delivers an entertaining sequel to Secret Identity (Knopf, 2004), packed with plenty of action and humor to keep kids, especially reluctant readers, turning the pages and rooting for Nolan. As in the first book, Biggs's black-and-white illustrations capture the humor and action of the straightforward plot.–Christine McGinty, Albany Public Library, NY
Booklist:
Gr. 3-5. Armed with a digital camera and ever-increasing confidence, Nolan, the nerdy fifth-grader who moonlights as a cyber-superhero (Shredderman [BKL F 15 04]), is back. This time a graffiti artist has struck in Cedar Valley, spraying buildings, playground equipment, and even the van of Nolan's teacher-cum-sidekick, Mr. Green. In his quest to nab the delinquent, Shredderman becomes a suspect, and clearing his name requires hiding in a smelly trash bag, riding his bike farther than ever before, and, of course, posting muckraking photos and articles on shredderman.com. The hullabaloo stirred up by relatively tame vandalism seems a bit unconvincing, and it's disappointing to see Nolan gaining more adult accomplices at book's end rather than allowing his alter ego's successes to carry over into his relationships with his peers. Not as stellar as Shredderman's first soaring leap into cyberspace, but still balm for all those dweeby kids who will see themselves in Nolan and cheer him on, as well as any middle-grader wanting something fast, funny, and technologically up-to-the-minute.