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The Barnes & Noble Review
Never fear, Shredderman is here! Wendelin Van Draanen, author of the popular Sammy Keyes series, leaps to literary heights with this early-middle-grade series about a boy who puts on his thinking cap to battle the school bully.

It's sad to say, but it's true: Nolan Byrd is Cedar Valley Elementary's No. 1 nerd. But when Bubba Bixby -- a nasty bully who enjoys tipping over kids' lunch trays, calling names, and swiping stuff -- pushes Nolan a little too far, the brainiac boy decides to build a web site dedicated to outing Bubba's shenanigans. With photos of Bubba's pranks and plenty of cool graphics, Nolan's anonymous site, Shredderman.com, soon becomes the talk of the school. In the end, Nolan is thrilled that Bubba gets his comeuppance, and after he gets a surprise "sidekick," he sees that the bully's problems stem from something deeper than mere meanness (even though Bubba's not changing anytime soon!).

Three cheers for Shredderman! Van Draanen has created a "superhero" who speaks wonderfully to all the underdogs out there looking for justice. Kids will surely be looking to devour more episodes, and Brian Biggs's wacky illustrations make for an on-target complement. A crackerjack read for boys and fans of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio or Megan McDonald's Judy Moody. Matt Warner

ANNOTATION

Alvin Bixby: Hulking, knuckles of steel, hideous breath, foul temper. Kids call him: Bubba. Nolan Byrd: Puny, power walker, math genius, can't keep shoes tied. Kids call him: Nerd. Bubba has been the bane of Nolan's existence for five long years. So when Mr. Green asks the class to become reporters, Nolan decides he'll write an expose--on Bubba. He doesn't want to sign his name to it (that'd be suicidal), so Nolan creates a secret identity for himself--on the Internet. He launches Shredderman.com as a place where truth and justice prevail--and bullies get what's coming to them. This hilariously triumphant story is for any kid who's ever dreamed of unleashing their own inner superhero!

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Shredderman: Secret Identity; Attack of the Tagger Wendelin Van Draanen, illus. by Brian Biggs. Random/Yearling, $5.50 each ISBN 0-440-41912-3; 0-440-41913-1. PW said, "Van Draanen launches a one-man Revenge of the Nerds for the elementary crowd." Ages 7-10. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde

Van Draanen, known for her excellent Sammy Keyes mystery series, now turns to a younger audience and new genre with a new hero, Nolan "Nerd" Byrd, who is a brilliant, puny fifth grader and primary target of bully Alvin "Bubba" Bixby who "was born big and mean, full of teeth and ready to bite." He has "rocky knuckles and killer breath," terrorizes everyone in school, has dubbed all his classmates with cruel nicknames, and gets away with lying, cheating and stealing. No teacher or principal seems to be able to stop him, so Nolan comes up with a dynamite complicated technology-driven plan to "shred" this bully, and takes on the secret identity of "Shredderman." By the book's end Nolan gets his real name back and feels stronger, smarter and braver "like a superhero should." Short page count, plenty of illustrations, and an intriguing method of solving the age-old bully problem make this an involving book for younger readers who will look forward to more books in this series. 2004, Knopf, Ages 7 to 10.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-A new series featuring a puny but brainy fifth grader named Nolan Byrd, whose dorky ways earn him the nickname of "Nerd" from Bubba Bixby, a seemingly unstoppable bully who cheats, lies, steals, and terrorizes little kids. Tired of Bubba's relentless tormenting, Nolan anonymously launches shredderman.com, an online forum that chronicles the bully's transgressions. The name Shredderman is inspired by the compliment Nolan's math teacher writes on a quiz, "You shred, man!" Readers will be impressed with the protagonist's ingenious problem-solving abilities and his adept use of technology to expose Bubba. This entertaining story of an egghead who cannot keep his shoes tied who uses his brains to triumph over the worst bully in school will keep even reluctant readers laughing and wanting more stories about this cyber superhero. Droll, black-and-white cartoons are a perfect accompaniment to the clever text.-Edward Sullivan, White Pine School, TN Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In a Sammy Keyes for younger readers, Van Draanen opens a new series featuring a fifth-grade math wiz with this quick-paced take on the perennial "dealing with a bully" theme. Weary of being terrorized by Alvin "Bubba" Bixby while grown-ups turn a blind eye, Nolan "Byrd-the-Nerd" Byrd installs a digital camera in his backpack to catch Bubba in the act, and then posts the incriminating photos on a secretly created Web site. The ploy does get Bixby in hot water, particularly with his (predictably) abusive father-but the author suggests more effective alternative strategies by having Nolan gain the self-confidence to stand up to bullying, even at the price of being beaten up, and to refuse to play the nickname game. Biggs contributes sketchy "Beavis and Butthead"-style vignettes; the author adds a supporting cast of unconventional characters, and pushes off a rolling tangle of subplots to set the stage for further exploits from "Shredderman." They should get an enthusiastic welcome. (Fiction. 8-10)