Hero

The short length makes 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 what's right mean the story is meaty enough for more advanced readers, too. Leo is invincible when he's pretending to be a gladiator in his imagination, but in real life, he struggles to make friends—unless you count his neighbor's 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 he's a hero, he rolls with it—it feels nice to be celebrated, even if it's a lie. But when Jack Pepper needs Leo's help, can Leo find it in himself to be a genuine hero?