Hero

by Sarah Lean

Leo dreams about being a hero. In his imagination he is a fearsome gladiator, but he wants to be a hero in real life.

When the boys at school dare Leo to do something he knows is wrong, he lets everybody down. How can he make things right again?

A little dog called Jack Pepper is missing and it will take a true hero to find him and bring him home…

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Dogs, Young Adult, Contemporary

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2014

About the author

My fascination with animals began when I was aged 8 and a stray cat walked in the back door and decided to adopt me. As a child, I wanted to be a writer and used to dictate stories to my mother, but eventually I bought a laptop and decided I could type them myself. I live in Dorset and share the space around my desk with two dogs, Harry and Coco. MA in Creative and Critical Writing from University of Winchester.

Reviews

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I can fit a whole Roman amphitheater in my imagination, and still have loads of room. It's big in there. Much bigger than you think. I can build a dream, a brilliant dream of anything, and be any hero I want...."

✏️ Review ✏️

Exploring themes of solid friendships, childhood innocence, nagging guilt, and creative imagination, Hero delivers a story that is satisfying, sweet and heartwarming. With dynamic and well-defined characters, this story takes on a very personal level that will find it's way into every reader's heart.

The MMC, lil' Leo Biggs, is just so cute! Throughout this story he learns so many important lessons and truths. He's such an excellent character for illustrating so many of these principles. Leo's desire to be a hero, his bad choices about the company he keeps, his struggles with his conscience to tell the truth, his desire yet apprehension to confide in his best friend — all of these illustrate a teaching point presented in the story. Character growth is paced just right (so satisfying!).... And Jack Pepper? Who's not to like an energetic little dog? ♥️🥰

Even though the writing style is simplistic in nature, it still feels very mature and contains a creative delivery throughout. I found it quite enjoyable as it has many marks of excellent writing: fresh descriptions, varied sentence structure, and dialogue and thoughts that fit so nicely with the MC.

The plot is smoothly structured; it's paced quite well for this story. I would have liked if the ending wasn't so succinct, but it still concludes in a satisfying fashion.

Hero is a sweet story that you will surely enjoy — a story about a boy, a dog, and and what it really means to be a hero.

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📊 A Quick Overview 📊

👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The good morals.
• The smooth plot construction.
• The characters (especially Jack Pepper! 🥰).
• The writing style — overall, pretty good.

👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• I wish the ending was a bit longer.

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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3.5/5 [rounded up to 4 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 4/5

~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)

— 🤬 Language: 0/5

— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5

— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5

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📣 Random Comments 📣

• There are several times when Leo, the MMC, imagines many scenes from ancient Rome. Most of these scenes project the Roman god Jupiter as a living being who either approves or disapproves of Leo's actions both in his imagined scenarios and in the present time. Just an element to be aware of before recommending Hero to young readers.

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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬

• "Fights aren't necessarily what you have with fists or swords.... Sometimes we're just trying to put things right. On the inside." (p. 124)

• That's the thing about friends: they see the things in you that you don't like either, not because they think badly of you, but because they believe much better of you. (p. 126)

[Michelle Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has interesting characters, and deals with bravery, daydreaming, and the courage to be yourself. Leo is a boy who would like to be a hero, but he is only a hero when he is pretending to be one. He only has one good friend, and it seems to him that he does nothing to make his parents proud. Soon after taking up with a dog that a neighbor is watching, Leo gets the opportunity to spend time with another group of boys and faces some hard choices. He is left to consider what makes a real hero.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about a little boy with a big imagination. Leo leads a normal existence except in his head where he imagines himself to be a great gladiator. In trying to find his way Leo makes a bad decision and it is with the help of a little dog that he will find out what he is really made of and what it really means to be a hero. Sarah Lean takes us into the head and heart of a young boy and the one friend who sees him for who he really is. Great for younger readers and animal lovers.

[Michelle Abuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero by Sarah Lean is an example of a fantasy book. The Hero is also available in electronic or commonly pronounce as eBook and it also has four editions. The book is appropriate for Elementary School to Middle School. The Hero is about a little dog who has a heart like a lion. The dog is known as a brave, smart and a dreamer. I gave five stars to Hero for the book has an excellent explanation of believing in dreams and achieving them. The book also has a colorful illustration and the book provides a good explanation and metaphor. The story is a good motivation for children who are willing to do everything for their friends and family. It shows how to be brave and imagining that we do not have a limit when it comes to our dreams. “I can be whatever I want to be” is a short phrase that I can sum up after reading the Hero. I can use this book in my class to motivate my students to follow their heart and their dreams. I can use this book to show my students not to stop imagining and thinking that they can be what they want to be.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads. I was so surprised to receive two different books about this dog. I can't wait to give them to my grandson. He is a beginning reader and can read the small one by himself and have the larger one read to him. I was also surprised when the books came so fast after winning them and from England too.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character is a daydreamer named Leo that pretends to be a Roman gladiator, what's not to like?

[Courtney Umlauf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I think the content and message here are admirable, I really struggle with Lean's writing. I so wish I could explain why in more detail, but her style never seems to coalesce for me. It feels like a bunch of pretty sentences that haven't yet been joined together in any coherent way. I've had the same reaction to the two other books I've ready by Lean, but with Hero it was even more difficult for me to get past the writing to be able to enjoy the story.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a little bit to get into, but overall it was a good read! Leo's imaginative character finds himself stretching the truth in order to fit in with the popular kids at school. Some students may find this relatable and enjoy reading about Leo's adventures with Jack Pepper.

[Bonnie🥗 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried through the last three chapters and could barely see the words through my tears. The story made me think about how pets love us just the way we are. We are hero’s to them just because we feed, care for, and love them. People make love too complicated.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org

[Emma Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not particularly easy to read in places but the kids and i enjoyed the story... and relieved it had a happy ending!

[Heather N. Bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story about doing the right thing and what it really means to be a hero.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine but it wasn’t the best book

[Karen Earp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent little read about a boy with a big imagination who doesn't really understand what it means to be a hero. I'd recommend it to kids who like to dream big dreams and/or love dogs.

[Sharron Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story and Jack Pepper is adorable. Plenty of discussion points for reading groups around understanding yourself and others, friendship, community and family.

[Lily Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished in in one hour 😁
Good book I recommend

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Sinkhole
Animal injury

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in one sitting. What a wonderful book. Absolutely loved it 💗

[Naomi]

i liked it

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lean Ings #1
Middle diverting adventure yarn with dogs and youngsters nothing remarkable but you know it was fine all ok a d all forgettable and helped while a way a bit of time.

[Jujuba · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite!!!

[Scarlett]

Hero
By: Sarah Lean
Genre: Contemporary (realistic) fiction CHAPTER BOOK
Themes: bullying, bravery, fights, courage, animals
Opening Line: “I can fit a whole Roman amphitheatre in my imagination, and still have loads of room.”
Summary: The main character, Leo pretends to be a gladiator in his imagination, which therefore makes him invincible. His only friend in real life is a dog, where he struggles to make friends with other children. He is finally invited to hang out with the cool kids but they pressure him into doing things. He has the chance to make everything alright when the dog Jack Pepper goes missing and he finds him.
Professional Recommendation #1
https://browse.nypl.org/iii/encore/re...
Booklist Reviews 2015 January #1
Leo is a daydreamer, which is the only thing he thinks he is good at. In his imagination, he is a gladiator, the kind of hero he longs to be but isn't. And so, when an opportunity for heroics involving a bully and a little white dog named Jack Pepper presents itself, Leo lies about what has happened, and soon everyone in his small town thinks he is a hero. Everyone but Leo himself, who knows the awful truth. But when a meteor then streaks across the sky, things get complicated, and suddenly the dog is in real danger, and Leo has a chance to be a true hero. But can he rise to the occasion? Award-winning British author Lean has written a charming, affecting story of a boy whose love for a dog challenges him to find the best in himself. Ingeniously plotted and populated with appealing charactersâ€"including, of course, a lovable canineâ€"this is a treat for dog-lovers and would-be heroes alike.

Professional Recommendation #2
KIRKUS REVIEW
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Young Leo learns that being a hero isn’t about the accolades.
Leo’s English town is built on Roman ruins, and Roman history influences his imagination. Where in real life Leo feels insignificant, in his dreams he’s a heroic gladiator winning the approval of Jupiter. So when Warren, a schoolyard god of sorts, invites Leo to join him and his friends, Leo jumps at the chance. First he must prove his bravery and loyalty. The trials end badly, shaming Leo, especially when stalwart pup Jack Pepper gets hurt in the process. Leo’s guilt is compounded after he spins events so it sounds as though he rescued Jack—a story almost everyone in town believes. Tightly structured and plotted, the novel’s every element and development move the story forward. Leo narrates, allowing readers to fully experience his growing unease with his deception and alienation from family and friends. Leo seems to be digging himself into a hole when a meteor hits, opening a huge sinkhole in the middle of town that swallows Jack Pepper. In the process of recovering and restoring Jack to his neighbor and role model, Grizzly Allen, Leo learns heaps about honesty, friendship, dreams and real greatness.
Response to Reviews:
I think they do a great job at praising this book, as it should be. I did however have some critiques about the morals of the text. I think that the message is great overall, the imagination of Leo taking him to other worlds and him needing to integrate with friends so he struggles to try to get attention in the wrong ways. I feel like they left out that this needs the right audience for two reasons. #1, even though it is an easy read, it is a 300 page book and length is an issue for some young readers. Also, if not taken the right way, and read thoughtfully, a reader might get the wrong idea from faking a heroic moment for attention. Overall, however, I found this to be great read.
Evaluation of Literacy Elements:
This book does an amazing job of using imagination to take you into the mind of a child, especially Leo’s. The descriptive detail, paint a picture in the reader's mind of the scene at hand. This book would do a great job of getting children who are past the “chapter book” phase and intrigues them enough to read this novel which keeps you involved with the adventurous, didactic plot.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
A mini lesson could include talking about hero’s, what are your ideas of a hero, who do you know is a hero?

An extension activity could include writing a short narrative about your personal hero, is it Mom, Dad, a singer, movie star, superhero? What makes them a hero and how have they shown the heroic qualities discussed in our minilesson?

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads.*

Leo Biggs often imagines himself as a gladiator, fighting in the Roman amphitheater and trying to win the favor of Jupiter. In real life, though, Leo is a bit of an outcast. He only has one real friend–at least, just one human friend–but Leo longs to be seen as brave, popular, and extraordinary. And one day, he thinks he has his chance…

After a rather interesting episode at school, Leo gains the notice of Warren Miller, probably the coolest guy at school. Warren invites Leo to hang out after school…but Leo has to prove himself worthy of being in Warren’s crowd. Even though Leo is hesitant about what is asked of him, he’s willing to do just about anything to be popular. Leo couldn’t know, though, that his actions would lead to more trouble than even his powerful imagination could conjure.

One day, Warren and his crew try to convince Leo to have a little “fun” with Jack Pepper, his neighbor’s dog. Leo knows what’s going on is wrong, and he doesn’t really want to participate. What happens next changes everything Leo feels about himself and what the people in town think of him. Leo takes credit for saving Jack Pepper’s life (even though it was really the other way around), and now everyone thinks he’s some kind of hero. Only Leo, Warren and friends, and little Jack Pepper know the truth…but none of them are talking.

Leo is enjoying his new status as a town hero, but part of him knows that he’s living a lie. One day, however, something happens that puts Leo’s vision of himself as a hero to the test. A catastrophic event hits the town, and Jack Pepper is put in real danger. Leo knows it’s up to him to save this little dog, but what can one boy do in a truly perilous situation?

Will Leo finally step up and be the hero that Jack Pepper needs? Will Leo–or anyone else–ever reveal what actually happened when he “saved” Jack Pepper to begin with? And will Leo ever discover what it really means to be a hero? Answer these questions and many more when you read Hero by Sarah Lean.

For my full review of this book, go to Knight Reader.

[Adam Sequoyah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good children's book. Or a good book about children. Or a book for and about children is fine. If it's good. This one seemed to meander from good to great to mediocre.

I enjoyed watching the adventuresome kid protagonist imagine himself as a gladiator-hero in front of throngs of spectators. And the story is definitely about how he imagines himself. Or how he wants people to view him. But he starts to do things in real life that he thinks make him look like a hero even though they compromise his morals. There is something great about that.

The book captures moments of shaming self-talk with exceptional poignancy (coming from someone who struggles with this very tendency myself). And there are some engaging themes in the story about friendship and loyalty.

There are also moments where I was sure a kid wouldn't say something like that. Or things were simply just unbelievable. (A passing meteor suddenly fells buildings in town when it passes?) Not that it's impossible, but I definitely had moments where my suspension of disbelief crumbled down into a sinkhole.

The author did some great work bringing so many pieces of the story into a focused thesis. It made the book seem almost an epic fable despite its brevity. But I found the book not as enjoyable as I'd hoped. And with some moments where the content or the language describing the boy's inner workings felt flat, overall I wasn't entirely impressed.

Still, to me the story succeeds in reminding us to be true to ourselves. Even if the way it does it is with the abstraction ironed into the reader's mind of that boy (who happens to look like me) wallowing in despair, telling himself he can't escape the lies by which he's trapped himself.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leo has a great imagination. He dreams and playacts at being a brave, heroic gladiator; he even has a homemade gladiator’s hat. In real life it appears that everyone else has something to be proud of except him. When Leo does something he knows is wrong to impress some kids at school, lies about it and is called a hero for saving a neighbor's dog, he becomes entangled in so many lies he can’t find the courage to admit the truth. This is a powerful story about bravery, truth, friendship and what it means to be a real hero. Like Sarah Lean’s other books for tweens, this one is heartfelt and meaningful with concise, insightful text; not to be missed.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is about a young boy whose imagination runs as free as a river and is as limitless as time but he is embarrassed by his gift that most people can only dream of and hope for but soon he meets a young small dog who is full of energy and kindness from one incident that isn’t even real people think he is a hero but when the time is right he will have to save the dog but can he for real?
This book remind me of how to train your dragon book two each book shows that no matter who you are your family will always love you.
This book also reminds me of how when Alexzander the great came home and seemed to fail on one of his task every one still loved him.
This book reminds me of how I have a huge imagination and can be doing anything anywhere the limit is time.
The one thing I learned from this was sometimes the hardest thing to do is tell the truth.

[R J Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of Sarah Lean's that I have read and I have enjoyed both very much. They both are written very well for a young audience. They do not talk down to the reader and they teach as well as craft situations that help develop ones mind. I love that about these books. My only problem is that I really wish both books where longer but then most younger readers probably wouldn't stay with them.

"Hero" is about a young man who is a dreamer that finds himself in situations that most young boys do and as he tries to figure out how to deal with them he has the help of a small but helpful dog, Jack Pepper. He finds out sometimes friends can be more than you expect and people can be more understanding than one can believe, even parents.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very simple quick read that felt more like an easy-reader. It was a straightforward plot that did discuss deeper issues of acceptance, family, friendship, and finding a place to belong. It was a bit too simple and seemed to be missing quite a bit to make it a more fleshed out story and plot. I did enjoy Leo's POV and wild, detailed imagination. He also seemed to be have a stilted method of speaking and felt to be on the spectrum.

All in all a quick little read about very pertinent questions of how to fit in, what to do if you've made the wrong choice, and how to be brave, even if you aren't a gladiator.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy named Leo who imagines to be a gladiator. Then he meets a dog named Jack Pepper who seems to understand him.
Then one day he almost drowns on his bike and Jack Pepper saved him. And the boy lies saying that he saved the dog. And when Jack Pepper is in BIG TROUBLE after a sonic boom and might die. Could Leo finally gather up the courage to be a hero?
This book relates to real life because of all the kids who lie to get out of trouble.
I can relate to Leo because of his imagination games.