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Dan, Unmasked

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Dan, Unmasked 
By Chris Negron 
HarperCollins, 2020. 355 p. 

Dan’s best friend is Nate. They both love superhero comics—especially Captain Nexus—and baseball. In fact, the baseball team that they are on not only just made it into a tournament but they also all spend time together in Nate’s basement to read each new issue of their favorite comics together. Unfortunately, one day Nate is hit in the head with a baseball at practice and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Dan is sure that he is the cause of Nate getting hurt since he distracted him right before the baseball hit him. Now Dan believes that he must (with the help of Nate’s brother and a new friend) write a comic that shows Nate how to come out of his coma. 

This is a powerhouse of a story. There are all sorts of things in here—sports, action, comic book heroes, friendship, art, and life or death situations. Readers will watch Dan as he goes through all sorts of emotions, tries to figure out his world and who he really is—especially in these difficult circumstances. Also, readers will cheer Dan on as he helps the rest of his baseball team who at times all want to quit since Nate was the star pitcher. Give this to sports fans, comic book fans, and kids who just need to realize that there are others out there who have to figure out their lives even when life gets pretty hard.
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