The Hero Handbook by Matt Langdon - ADVISABLE

The Hero Handbook by Matt Langdon, 146 pages. NONFICTION. Magination Press (American Psychological Association), 2021. $15.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Who is your hero? Langdon breaks down what qualifies someone to be a hero and uses both real and fictional heroes to teach readers that we can all learn to be heroes. Heroes make goals, go on real and metaphorical  journeys, defeat enemies, and help others – with the assistance of their hero teams.

While Langdon focuses his book on a younger audience, the principles are applicable to everyone, regardless of age and stage of life. The principles are centered around this idea that each of us can change the world and save lives, a concept that sounds unrealistic in those terms – but Langdon makes me feel like it is actually possible. Like everything else, we can practice heroism until we become heroes, and Langdon gives readers steps to get there.

The language rating is for one use of the word “damn” in the context of discussing how it is a swear word in some countries but not in others. The mature content rating is for mentions of sex, drugs, alcohol, and illegal activities. The violence rating is for mentions of threats, gun use, and suicide, and for discussions of life-endangering situations.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen