MEET THE GECKO (Shredderman #3)
by Wendelin Van Draanen
Knopf
ISBN: 0375823530
Ages 7-10
176 pages

When Shredderman isn't saving his school from bullies, or his town from graffiti taggers, he is Nolan Byrd, a fifth grader. In SHREDDERMAN: MEET THE GECKO, Nolan has an opportunity to meet his favorite television superhero, The Gecko. Like Nolan, The Gecko turns out to be Chase Morton, a regular kid when he's not playing a superhero on television.

Nolan is introduced to Chase when The Gecko is filming in his town. Nolan's father, a journalist, sets up the meeting, and the boys have a great time playing video games. It is during their first meeting that Nolan finds out about Joel "The Mole" Bowl, a sleazy tabloid photographer who will go to any length to snap pictures of celebrities.

The Mole has been shadowing Chase for months, making up all sorts of rumors about the actor in his off-screen life. Shredderman decides to give The Mole a taste of his own medicine. First he attaches a picture of The Mole to a slimy alien body and posts a tabloid-style story on his website. He emails links to the website to victims of The Mole's tricks. As he gathers evidence of The Mole's illegal and unethical acts, Shredderman becomes the center of media attention. His website is even featured on the news.

SHREDDERMAN: MEET THE GECKO does not draw any parallels between Shredderman's undercover investigation and The Mole's tabloid journalism. Maybe it should. Both of them are sneaky and willing to go to extravagant lengths to secretly photograph people. Shredderman uses many of the same techniques as The Mole to get his scoop.

While MEET THE GECKO isn't as funny or action-packed as the first two Shredderman books, it's a worthy third installment. Nolan makes some heroic leaps of his own, as he uses his friendship with Chase to reach out to his former nemesis, the bullying Bubba Bixby. Hopefully future books will feature more friends for Nolan, and perhaps even a sidekick his own age.

   --- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

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