The Adventures of Beanboy

2022 One Book One Nebraska for Kids and Teens selection!

Never underestimate the power of the bean. Tucker MacBean has been drawing comic books almost as long as he’s been reading them. When his favorite comic has a contest for kids, he hopes he has finally found a way to fix his family—all he has to do is create the winning superhero sidekick . . . Introducing “Beanboy”—the first comic book character to truly harness the power of the bean for good. He is strong, he is relentless, he can double in size overnight (if given enough water).

With thoughtful characterizations and copious comic book illustrations, this laughout-loud novel will have readers rooting for a superhero with true heart.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers | Reprint edition: September 15, 2015 | Paperback: ‎ 240 pages | Age: 10-12 years

About the Author

When Lisa Harkrader was in the third grade, she decided she wanted to be a writer and an artist. She also wanted to be a spy, a psychiatrist, and second baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Those last three haven’t happened, but she is a writer and illustrator who has published more than thirty books for children, including Airball: My Life in Briefs, winner of the William Allen White Award; The Adventures of Beanboy, the first book she both wrote and illustrated; and Crumbled!, Croaked!, and Clocked!, three books in a fairy tale detective series starring Nobbin Swill, a dung farmer’s son who becomes Prince Charming’s assistant. Lisa Harkrader lives in Kansas with her family. And she still wants to be a spy. Visit her website at ldharkrader.com.

Reviews

"With a full comic adventure that includes a farting superhero, this is an excellent reccomendation for kids transitioning between graphic novels and traditional books." —Kirkus

"Tucker's rapport with his brother, concern for his mother, and frustration with his absent father (who now 'only existed in e-mails') add emotional depth to Harkrader's believable portrait of school and family life." —Publishers Weekly

"Harkrader has created superb characters...Fans of Dav Pilkey's 'Captain Underpants' (Scholastic) or Jeff Kinney's 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' (Abrams) books will embrace Tucker and his winsome, quirky friends and schoolmates." —School Library Journal, starred review

"[Harkrader] offers another knowing, funny, and sometimes moving look at middle-school issues." —Booklist