From the author of A Dog Called Homeless, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award, comes an action-filled adventure about friendship, imagination, and what it means to be a hero, perfect for fans of classic dog and friendship stories like Because of Winn-Dixie and Shiloh.The short length makes Hero a great pick for reluctant readers and readers who have just graduated from chapter books, but its themes of bullying and finding courage to stand up for whats right mean the story is meaty enough for more advanced readers, too.Leo is invincible when hes pretending to be a gladiator in his imagination, but in real life, he struggles to make friendsunless you count his neighbors little dog, Jack Pepper.

So Leo is thrilled when the cool kids invite him to hang out, even though they sometimes pressure him to do mean things.When Leo accidentally does something that makes the whole town think hes a hero, he rolls with itit feels nice to be celebrated, even if its a lie.

But when Jack Pepper needs Leos help, can Leo find it in himself to be a genuine hero?